Rescuers are conducting patrols to search for missing individuals following a boat capsizing incident in China. The image, sourced from AFP File Photo, is used solely for illustrative purposes.
Eight individuals lost their lives when a government-owned boat, deemed 'seriously overloaded,' capsized in southwestern China's Guizhou province earlier this week, according to Chinese authorities on Wednesday. Five people were successfully rescued from the accident site, which occurred in Guizhou province on Monday, as stated in an online announcement by the national emergency management ministry.
The boat was reportedly owned by the local town-level government, and the statement emphasized the need for 'serious accountability' regarding the incident. The vessel was found to be involved in passenger-carrying activities in violation of regulations and was significantly overloaded, the ministry noted.
Chinese outlet Caixin reported that the boat had been transporting local villagers across the Pingzheng River to gather herbs from the opposite bank. Boats on this river generally do not carry passengers, according to a source near the accident site.
Fatal accidents are not uncommon in China, often attributed to vague regulations and lax enforcement. A mining accident in neighboring Sichuan province resulted in eight fatalities in August. A gas explosion in northern China's Hebei province claimed seven lives and injured dozens in March. In the eastern city of Nanjing, a residential building fire led to the deaths of 15 people in February.
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