Owner of illegal tour boat detained after death of 12 people

The owner of an illegally modified tour boat involved in a capsizing incident that killed 12 on Saturday in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province and related responsible individuals have been detained by local public security authorities.

According to preliminary investigations, 155 tourists from Tangshan of Hebei arrived in Taolinkou village in Lulong county of Qinhuangdao in three tour buses on Saturday, organized by a travel agency, according to a report by China Media Group.

After having lunch nearby, 31 of them took an illegally operated sightseeing boat in the Qinglong River, the downstream area of Taolinkou Reservoir. Strong winds resulted in the capsizing and all the passengers falling into the water.

At 7:00 am on Sunday, the search and rescue operation had concluded, rescuing all of the 31 individuals and sending them to local hospitals for treatment.

Among them, 12 people died, 10 people are receiving treatment in the hospital without life-threatening conditions, and the remaining nine have returned home, the report said.

Currently, the owner of the boat and relevant personnel have been detained by the public security bureau.

In addition, Hebei organized a team to investigate the cause and responsibilities of the accident. Hebei Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision has also initiated relevant accountability investigations, it said.