In the news dated October 26, 2025, a tragic tourist train accident occurred at the Golden Beach scenic area in Qidong City, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, resulting in the deaths of four individuals.
Multiple Chinese media outlets reported on October 25 that on the morning of the 18th, around 10 a.m., a sightseeing vehicle was swept into the sea by the waves at the Yuantuo Corner Tourist Resort in Qidong. The accident claimed the lives of four people, with one individual pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital and the three missing persons found without vital signs.
Officials from Qidong City stated to the local newspaper that among the four deceased individuals, one was from Nanjing and three were from Shanghai. The remaining injured individuals have all been discharged from the hospital.
An internet user who knew one of the victims described the incident as follows: “The wind was strong at sea, creating large waves. The tourist train was traveling along a route in the middle of the sea. Towards the end of the journey, there was a stretch without wave protection, and the waves swept them into the sea.”
He mentioned that “everyone on the train was rolled away by the waves,” with a relative of his elderly colleague losing their life in the accident, along with three tourists from Shanghai.
Another internet user recounted, “The wind was strong that day, and the waves hit hard.” Their father knew three of the victims, with one of the men being a former colleague of his.
On the afternoon of October 18, the Golden Beach scenic area involved in the incident issued a temporary closure notice with no details provided, only stating that the reopening time would be announced separately.
According to local reports, a preliminary investigation revealed that Jiangsu Golden Beach Tourism Culture Co., Ltd. violated the notice to suspend operations in strong winds by unauthorizedly driving a sightseeing vehicle carrying 17 tourists onto the dike at the Yuantuo Corner Tourist Resort in Qidong.
The individuals responsible have been taken into custody.
On October 17, the Qidong City Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow alert for strong winds at sea, indicating persistent strong winds from the 18th to the 22nd. On the morning of the 18th, the area experienced thunderstorms with locally heavy to torrential rainfall, accompanied by land-based gusts of 5 to 6 on the Beaufort scale, and offshore gusts of 7 to 8 reaching 9 on the northerly gale scale along the Jiangsu coast.
Responding to the incident, Chinese netizens questioned why the report was only released a week after the accident occurred, with many criticizing the scenic area for concealing the incident. Some netizens accused the government of covering up the truth.
Public records show that the Golden Beach scenic area is a AAA scenic spot in China, designated as a provincial wetland park in Jiangsu Province in 2017. It is also a popular destination for tourists in the Yangtze River Delta region. The sightseeing train in the area can accommodate 60 passengers and travels a total distance of 1.5 kilometers. Currently, the scenic area has suspended operations.