BEIJING (AP) — Two boats carrying roughly 70 people capsized in the Wu river in China’s southwestern Guizhou province Sunday afternoon, leaving about 20 people missing.
As of Sunday evening, rescuers had gotten 50 people out of the water, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Rescuers were still looking for others late Sunday in Guizhou’s Qianxi area.
The boats capsized after a sudden rain and hail storm and strong winds hit the Wu, a tributary of the Yangtze, one of the two longest rivers in China.
In one video, shared by state media a man could be seen performing CPR on another person lying on the boat. The bottom of one of the capsized boats could be seen as the vessel drifted upside down.
An eyewitness told state-backed Beijing News that the waters were deep but some people had managed to swim to safety. However, the storm had come on suddenly and a thick mist obscured the surface of the river.
