People gather on the bank of Fuyi river where a ferryboat sank, in Shaoyang County in central China's Hunan Province. At least eight people died after a ferryboat sank in the river on Friday afternoon, local authorities said. Some other 14 people were rescued and sent to hospitals in the county. (Xinhua/Li Ga)
SHAOYANG, Hunan, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Few minutes later, they would cross over the river to reunite with their families; but an unexpected ferry capsizing had separated them with their parents into two worlds.
Eleven people, mostly primary and middle school students, died in a Friday afternoon ferryboat sinking, which also injured 16 others and left three missing in central China's Hunan Province, said Chen Wenhua, a publicity official of Shaoyang City.
Rescuers are still searching for three missing by early Saturday morning, according to Chen.
The accident occurred at about 3:20 p.m. Friday in Fuyi River in Shaoyang County, some 250 km southwest of Hunan provincial capital of Changsha.
A total of 43 passengers were aboard the vessel, most of whom were students from two primary and middle schools in the the town of Tangtianshi.
The students were returning home for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday for family reunions that falls on Sept. 12.
However, family reunion turned into a nightmare for the 11 deceased.
THRILLING MOMENT
For those survivors, the thrilling moment in deep water will probably linger in their mind forever.
Lying on the sickbed in the Shaoyang County People's Hospital, second grader Guo Meitao from the Tangtianshi Town Middle School could not help sobbing several times while recalling how she had rescued her grandma.
The 14-year-old girl said she was taking the ferryboat home with his younger brother and cousin, accompanied by their grandma.
"The boat left the pier and drove for a while, then it suddenly hit into something and capsized," Guo said.
Her seven-year-old brother and cousin managed to swim and crawl frantically onto a sand pile in the middle of the river.
"I realized that my grandma was still in the water, so I hysterically dragged her hair and swam towards the sand pile, too," Guo said.
With tears in eyes, the 63-year-old grandma said she would lose her life too if not for her granddaughter.
"I was scared to death. I tried hard to cling to the capsized boat when it capsized and drank some water," the grandma said.
They stayed on the top of the sand pile for about half an hour, along with dozens of survivors, until a nearby sand dredger came over to ferry them onto safety zone.
On a nearby sickbed in the hospital corridor are two girls, Li Haiyan and Li Xianping, both 13, from the same middle school where Guo studies. They are both on a drip, lying motionlessly, with arms on their eyes to block the light, and refusing to answer any questions raised by the reporter.
Li Haiyan's mother told reporter her daughter was rescued by a man, who swam into the capsized boat and dragged her out.
"My daughter was badly drowned and she had dark lips and black face when I first saw her in the hospital," the middle-aged woman said.
Li Xianping, her niece, managed to escape by herself, holding a piece of wood, she told the reporter.
HEART-BREAKING SCENE
Xinhua reporters who rushed to the scene of the accident, 30 km away from the seat of the Shaoyang County, at about 10:25 p.m. Friday saw that 10 bodies, all covered with white blankets, were lined up at the bank of the river.
A female witness who declined to give her name said the bodies have been pulled out of the water since 5 p.m.. Another student was sent to a nearby hospital but later died after treatment failed.
Rescue and search work were still going on along the river, and police were maintaining order at the site.
Some local officials were trying to console the bereaved families, some of whom are still wailing.
Local villagers and police officers have joined in search and rescue operations after the accident.
Witnesses said a student from the boat pulled two people out of the water but drowned himself, apparently out of exhaustion, when he was trying to rescue the third one.
The ferry's two owners, Yin Xixiang and Yin Xinquan, survived the accident and are now in police custody, sources with the Shaoyang government said.
The ferry was chartered by the schools to send the students back homes across the river.
Witnesses said overloading might contribute to the capsizing and sinking of the boat.
Police are further investigating into the cause of the accident.
The Hunan provincial government has since issued an emergency notice to order a thorough inspection and overhaul of docks and piers to crack down on overloading and illegal operations.
