Tragic Incident in Guiyang, Guizhou: 5-Year-Old Girl Dragged to Death by Frightened Horse
On the evening of May 12th, a tragic incident occurred in the residential area of Douxi Forest Farm in Baiyun District, Guiyang, Guizhou. Two frightened horses broke into the community, and one of them wrapped its reins around the neck of a 5-year-old girl, dragging her to death for nearly 2000 meters. The family of the deceased questioned why horses were allowed to be kept near the community, but no official response was given.
According to a report by Chinese media “Overview News” on May 22nd, in the late afternoon of May 12th, the victim, Xiaoxuan (pseudonym), returned home from kindergarten, put down her school bag, and went to play near the basketball court in the community with other children.
Witnesses described that Xiaoxuan and the other children were playing in the community when suddenly, a black and a white horse entered the area. The unexpected appearance of the two horses startled the children, who started running towards the basketball court, with the horses following closely behind. The reins of one of the horses flew up and wrapped around Xiaoxuan’s neck. The frightened horse dragged Xiaoxuan all the way until it stopped at a few stone cornerstones outside the community, about 2000 meters from where Xiaoxuan was playing. Residents of the community ran out to chase the horses, but they ran so fast that they disappeared 500 meters outside the community.
The family quickly ran downstairs and found Xiaoxuan over a kilometer away from the community. By that time, Xiaoxuan was barely alive, covered in mud with multiple injuries, with the most severe ones on her neck, head, and shoulders. They rushed Xiaoxuan to the People’s Hospital of Guizhou Province for emergency treatment, but she unfortunately did not survive. The forensic examination revealed that Xiaoxuan died from neck compression causing mechanical asphyxia and combined head injuries.
Xiaoxuan’s father, Mr. Yan, revealed to the media that the owner of the two horses is a resident of the community. Their family only rented a house in the community last year. Shortly after moving in, they heard about a man named He who kept two horses in the community. There was no fence behind the community, and about 30 meters from the nearest residential building was a hill where the two horses were usually kept. He also built a simple stable for the horses.
It is said that He, about 60 years old, used the two horses for tourists to ride around a scenic area near the forest farm, where he charged fees. Some residents had previously raised concerns about He keeping horses, but the matter was left unresolved.
Mr. Yan mentioned that before the incident, He tied the horses in an open space outside the community. Due to continuous rainfall, the soft soil led to a decrease in the stability of the ground stakes used to secure the horses. When left unattended, the horses were likely disturbed and broke free to run directly into the community, leading to the tragedy.
On May 12th, He was under investigation for “causing death by negligence.” However, Mr. Yan stated that there were still unanswered questions regarding the potential hazards of keeping horses close to residential buildings, whether He had completed the necessary procedures, and why the authorities had not provided a clear response to residents’ concerns.
This bizarre incident has sparked discussions among netizens: “Isn’t the relevant department responsible for monitoring horses in the community?” “This is entirely the responsibility of the authorities!” “Unbelievable: Keeping horses in the community?” “Truly a disaster that came out of nowhere.”