Officials urge safety awareness following flood deaths

The government of Chang'an district in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, urged local residents and tourists to be aware of safety issues in mountainous scenic spots.

Yang Jianqiang, who heads the district that's renowned for its mountains and scenery, made the remarks two days after nine tourists were swept away by a flash flood on Monday afternoon.

Flash flooding triggered by heavy rain hit the Xiaoyu scenic spot on Monday afternoon while tourists were in the area. The people swept away by the flood were having dinner in a simply constructed restaurant on the riverbank. All nine tourists were confirmed dead by Wednesday afternoon.