10 dead, 70 hospitalized after tourist boats capsize in China
What's the story
Four people were killed and 70 others were hospitalized after four tourist boats overturned in southwestern China on Sunday.
The accident happened on a river in Qianxi city, Guizhou province, and threw 84 people into the water.
Chinese President Xi Jinping had instructed provincial authorities to "do everything possible" and deployed nearly 500 rescue workers, Xinhua reported.
Eyewitness reports
Eyewitness accounts and weather conditions
An eyewitness from a nearby boat told The Beijing News that the accident was caused by sudden weather changes, including heavy rain and mist floating on the water's surface.
This was backed by China's Meteorological Administration, which had earlier forecast heavy downpours for southwestern and southern regions of China, including Guizhou province.
The mishap happened during the five-day May Day holiday, a peak travel time in China.
Twitter Post
Incident took place during the 5-day May Day holiday
Death toll rises to 9 after boat capsizing in SW #China 🙏🏻
— Bridging News (@BridgingNews_) May 5, 2025
Sudden strong winds overturned 4 boats in Liuguang River, Bijie, #Guizhou. 84 people fell into the water—83 have been found, 9 confirmed dead, 70 hospitalized with no life-threatening injuries. pic.twitter.com/NXzssEZL58
Travel trends
Travel surge during May Day holiday
May Day holiday, China's "golden week" break, is a much-coveted travel time.
In fact, hotel bookings across Guizhou province were up by a third on the first day of this holiday season, the People's Daily reported on Saturday.
Sunday's incident occurred barely two months after 11 people were killed when a passenger boat collided with an industrial vessel in China's Hunan province.