Seventeen people were killed Saturday after two dragon boats capsized in southern China, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

Rowers on board the two long, narrow kayak-like boats were practising for a race in Taohua River in the city of Guilin when the accident occurred Saturday afternoon, tipping some 60 people into the water.

Around 40 people were pulled out of the water alive with rescue work ending around 10pm (1400 GMT), Xinhua said.

An earlier report from the state news agency said eleven people had died.

There were no details on whether people were still missing in the latest report.

Authorities in Guilin said villagers had organised a practice session without notifying police, and that two organisers were detained.

Races are held nationwide every year to mark the dragon boat festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, or the summer solstice.

The festival pays tribute to the ancient poet Qu Yuan who, legend has it, drowned himself in protest against being falsely accused of treason.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Portable device to sniff out trapped humans
Washington DC (SPX) Apr 19, 2018
The first step after buildings collapse from an earthquake, bombing or other disaster is to rescue people who could be trapped in the rubble. But finding entrapped humans among the ruins can be challenging. Scientists now report in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry the development of an inexpensive, selective sensor that is light and portable enough for first responders to hold in their hands or for drones to carry on a search for survivors. In the hours following a destruction-causing ev ... read more