On the afternoon of May 4th, around 16:40, a tragic accident occurred near the Wind Storage Area on the east side of Liu Chong River in Xin Ren Miao Ethnic Township, Qianxi City, Guizhou Province. The accident involved the capsizing of two tourist boats, resulting in 3 fatalities, 60 injured individuals who were sent for medical treatment, and 14 individuals who are currently being searched for.
According to reports from Chinese state media, approximately over seventy people, including crew members, fell into the water during the accident, and local rescue teams are actively involved in the rescue operation.
Xin Ren Miao Ethnic Township, located on the southern border of Qianxi City, boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage with strong ethnic characteristics. The town is also a key rural tourism destination in Guizhou Province.
During the May Day holiday, the Hundred-Mile Gallery at the source of Wujiang River attracted numerous tourists. The period from April to November annually marks the peak tourism season for the Hundred-Mile Gallery. While entry to the scenic area is free, the round-trip boat ticket for touring the Wujiang River source costs 50 yuan for regular boats and 60 yuan for sightseeing boats, with each trip lasting approximately one hour.
Liu Chong River is the largest first-order tributary of the Wujiang River, with a total length of 273.4 kilometers and a natural drop of 1243 meters. At the time of the accident, this section of the river was experiencing heavy rainstorms, making the river surface exceptionally dangerous.
The Qianxi City Meteorological Observatory issued an orange hail warning at 14:40 on May 4th, predicting that some areas of the city might experience hailstorms within the next six hours, potentially leading to hail-related disasters.
An eyewitness named Mr. Li described that within just about ten minutes of the boat setting off, the weather abruptly changed. In a span of about five to six minutes, there was sudden lightning, thunder, heavy rain mixed with hail, and strong winds drastically reducing visibility to almost zero, creating a scene of grey mist.
Mr. Li noted that the tourist boat he was on had two levels – the lower level for passengers, who mostly weren’t wearing life jackets, and the upper level for sightseeing, where it was clearly stated that life jackets must be worn.
Following the accident, discussions about the incident quickly trended on social media platform Weibo.
One netizen who experienced the Guizhou tourist boat accident shared, “Today, I truly experienced the feeling of a narrow escape. When the hail began, the boat I was on happened to be stopped in a wind-shielded spot. Then, the strong winds pushed other boats from both sides towards us, creating collisions. After enduring the storm and hail, we turned around to see the overturned boat, affirming that safety is indeed the most crucial.”
Some netizens remarked, “Most of the individuals rescued were from the second-floor platform, while those who went missing likely didn’t emerge from the cabin and sank. If someone is not rescued within ten minutes of falling into the water, we all understand the potential consequences. No matter how much equipment is deployed, it may not be sufficient.”
Others pointed out, “This was completely a man-made disaster, as recent weather forecasts indicated thunderstorms. Over the past few days, there have been thunderstorms with strong winds and heavy rain in the afternoons, but shortly after, it cleared up.”
Expressing concerns, another netizen stated, “The boat is not sealed, and windows can be climbed out of. But in heavy rain, the windows are likely shut, and people are confined to the cabin.”
“Everyone knows that being in the water for around ten hours implies a dire situation with diminishing survival chances. Let’s all pray for everyone’s safety.”