12 killed in boat capsizing in Hebei

The boat involved in a capsizing incident that killed 12 on Saturday in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province was an illegally modified tour boat, with most of its passengers being elderly and not wearing life jackets, according to a report by China Emergency Management News.

It capsized around 2:30 pm on Saturday in the downstream river channel of Taolin Reservoir in Lulong county due to strong winds. The passengers were tourists, the majority of whom were elderly and not wearing life jackets, the report said.

Following the accident, local related departments immediately rushed to the scene for search and rescue as well as medical treatment. The fire rescue team - which is usually sent for emergent incidents - dispatched 31 fire trucks, 144 firefighters, 4 assault boats, and 13 rubber boats to the scene for rescue efforts, it added.

At 7:00 am on Sunday, the search and rescue operation had concluded, rescuing all of the 31 individuals who fell into the water. Except for the 12 deaths, the rest 19 are in stable conditions with no life-threatening signs.