Boat accident leaves one dead, one missing ( 2003-09-28 15:10) (Xinhua)
A boat accident on the Danjiang River in northwest China's Shaanxi Province
Saturday left one tourist dead and one boatman missing.
According to local sources, five staff members with an insurance company of
Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, set off in a rubber boat
from a local rafting company in Danfeng County around 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
The accident happened when the raft encountered dangerous rapids after
traveling just 300 meters, and capsized. A dozen boatmen ashore jumped into the
river when they heard the victims' scream for help.
Four visitors were rescued, and the raft operator swam ashore, but one
visitor and Liu Yunsheng, a boatman involved in the rescue operations, were
missing. Local police organized residents to help search and eventually found
the body of the missing visitor 10 km away from the site of the accident.
The search for the missing boatman is still going on and all the four rescued
tourists are being treated in hospital.
The cause of the accident is under further investigation.
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