At least 11 people died and another five are missing following a collision between a small ferry and another boat on a river in southern China’s Hunan province.
Nineteen people fell overboard following the collision on the Yuanshui River on Tuesday morning, though the extent of the death toll was only reported in Chinese state media some days later when the wreckage of the ferry was found.
The incident happened at about 10am local time in Qinglang Township, Yuanling County, when the ferry was hit from behind by a larger vessel designed to clean up after oil spills.
Five people remain missing but the search has been hampered by turbulent currents in the river.
One person who was rescued said he escaped by breaking one of the ferry’s windows with his foot, according to Shanghai-based news platform The Paper.
The relative of a survivor told local news that the ferry served as the main way for people to come and go from their village.
The collision occurred at a point where the river is over 60m (200 ft) deep and about 500m (1,600 ft) wide, according to China’s Xinhua state news agency.
Hundreds of rescue personnel managed to salvage the ferry wreckage on Friday, state media said, while special rescue teams equipped with sonar and diving equipment are continuing underwater search efforts.
However, the conditions of this river section are complex with turbulent currents near the riverbed, making continued search operations more challenging, according to officials.
The Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) has also dispatched a special team to determine the cause of the incident to prevent similar events from taking place again, local news reports say.
The oil waste recovery vessel involved in the collision was docked after the incident and three people aboard it, none of whom were injured, were reportedly detained and placed under investigation by police.
