CHINA: Six killed in Northeast after a bus sinks in water

Record ID: 1963604

  • Title: CHINA: Six killed in Northeast after a bus sinks in water
  • Date: 25th May 2010
  • Summary: QIANG'AN COUNTY, HARBIN CITY, HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (MAY 23, 2010) (CCTV - NO ACCESS CHINA) CRANE DRAGGING OUT SUNKEN BUS RIVER FLOWING RESCUE WORKERS WORKING ON ACCIDENT SITE VARIOUS OF DAMAGED BUS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) ZHAO QINGYU, BUS CRASH SURVIVOR SAYING "Five to six passengers and I were swept away by water. I know how to swim because I used to live near the river. I saw them drowning. I screamed for help while I was struggling to float in the water. A young man came down and saved me." CRANE DRAGGING BUS AWAY/ RUSHING CURRENT (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) YANG BAOTIAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE ADMINISTRATION OF WORK SAFETY SAYING "Currently, I think there is a problem with management. Nobody was on duty at the site. If somebody was on duty, the accident could had been prevented and the vehicle wouldn't have fell into the river." QIANG'AN COUNTY, HARBIN CITY, HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (MAY 24, 2010) (CCTV - NO ACCESS CHINA) RESCUERS LOOKING FOR SURVIVORS ON SPEEDBOAT RESCUERS AT FERRY RUSHING CURRENT POLICEMAN STANDING BESIDE CAR RESCUE BOAT AND RIVER
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  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA9V82FMRRBFNDKZOXDDQFXRWVP
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Six people were killed and 14 are missing, after a bus carrying twenty-four people fell into a river in northeast Heilongjiang Province on Sunday (May 23), Chinese state media reported.
    The 29-seat bus was driving onto a ferry when it plunged into the Hulan River in Qing'an county at 1500 local time (0700 GMT), according to China's official Xinhua News Agency.
    Rescuers recovered the bus the following night and saved four people including the driver, reported Xinhua.
    Zhao Qingyun the driver of the bus recalled the crash.
    "Five to six passengers and I were swept away by water. I know how to swim because I used to live near the river. I saw them drowning. I screamed for help while I was struggling to float in the water. A young man came down and saved me," Zhao said.
    The cause of this incident is still under investigation, but local official attributed the crash to neglect, reported CCTV.
    Authorities pledged for tighter safety measures following the crash.
    "Currently, I think there is a problem with management. Nobody was on duty at the site. If somebody was on duty, the accident could had been prevented and the vehicle wouldn't have fell into the river," Yang Baotian, deputy director of Heilongjiang Province Administration of Work Safety said.
    Rescue work continued on Monday (May 24) and workers were still searching for the missing passengers, said CCTV.
    However, chances that the missing passengers can survive the strong river current are fading, added CCTV.
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