WORLD NEWS – Tourist boat in Guizhou, China capsizes, leaving 10 dead

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

Four boats carrying tourists capsized during an unexpected storm in southwestern China, killing 10 people. Over 80 people fell into a river when strong winds hit the scenic area in Guizhou province late Sunday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV said. The boat capsized after a sudden turn and a hailstorm on the upper reaches of the Wu River, a tributary of the Yangtze, China’s longest river. 

Initial reports said two tourist boats capsized, but state media said on Monday that four boats were involved. The other two boats had no passengers, and the seven crew members were able to save themselves, CCTV said. Guizhou’s mountains and rivers are a major draw for tourists, and many Chinese were traveling during a five-day national holiday that ended on Monday. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to find the missing and care for the injured, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday. 70 people were also sent to a hospital with minor injuries.