Due to the influence of the peripheral circulation of Typhoon “Danas”, on the evening of July 8th, a ferry traveling between Xiamen and Gulangyu Island encountered extreme weather at sea. Several videos capturing the scene were posted online, sparking widespread attention.
The videos showed that the sky suddenly darkened, strong winds began to blow, and the boat was violently swaying in the wind and waves, with seats being blown away.
According to a tourist, Ms. Huang, she and her friends boarded the ferry to Gulangyu Island around 4:40 PM that day. It was overcast when they boarded, and it started raining shortly after. Initially excited, they became a bit frightened as the rain intensified and lightning struck the nearby seawater.
Ms. Huang recalled that about 10 minutes after the boat had set sail, strong winds accompanied by heavy rain swept in from the right side of the boat, causing passengers to huddle on the left side as the boat even tilted at one point.
“Fortunately, the boat was very stable and moved forward slowly without turbulence, which helped us stay relatively calm,” said Ms. Huang. “The broadcast also instructed everyone not to crowd together and to crouch down.”
She described that the entire ordeal lasted for about half an hour, and at 5:20 PM, the ferry safely arrived in Xiamen.
A local man, Mr. Zhang, who works as a tour guide and driver, mentioned to a news outlet that the boat was being buffeted by strong winds, making it extremely difficult to stand steadily on the boat. Passengers either sat in their seats or held onto something sturdy for support.
According to him, there were hundreds of people on the boat, and upon disembarking, they saw trees in the city broken after more than ten years, metal frameworks toppled, roads covered with tree leaves and branches, and some vehicles damaged, leaving many shaken.
Another tourist, Ms. Ding, said she was sitting near a window inside the cabin when the strong winds, heavy rain, and rising waves, accompanied by thunder hitting the sea nearby, caused the entire boat to shake.
“I was very scared and panicked at that moment, and the scene made me cry,” Ms. Ding said. “I happened to be on the phone with my mother and thought I should leave some last words just in case. My mother coached me on how to wear a life jacket, observe the cabin, deck, and windows, and find escape routes.”
“During the journey, a completely unknown auntie next to me even helped me tighten my life jacket, and after the boat stabilized, she patted me on the back and suggested we record a video of our survival after the disaster,” she added.
Mr. Li also shared his experience, saying he had planned to accompany a friend to Gulangyu Island but hadn’t departed from the pier when suddenly thunder and strong winds hit. For safety reasons, the voyage didn’t commence, and he and his friend waited in the cabin for over an hour. Initially feeling unlucky, they felt a sense of relief after seeing the devastation on land, with ankle-deep water in some areas, streets covered with tree leaves and broken branches, which left them feeling somewhat frightened.
According to China Weather Network, on that day, apart from the rainfall brought by “Danas”, parts of eastern Sichuan, western Chongqing, northwestern Guizhou, northeastern Yunnan, western Inner Mongolia, southeastern Shaanxi, southern Shanxi, and western Henan experienced heavy rain or severe rainstorms, with a particularly severe rainfall in southwestern Chongqing. Due to the impact of the typhoon and rainfall, temperatures in the southern regions are expected to significantly decrease in the next three days, offering a temporary cool relief.