A dragon boat in Chongqing overturned during training

A participating dragon boat in Xiushan County, Chongqing, China capsized during training on Wednesday (June 5, 2024), killing three people.

The Chongqing Xiushan County Emergency Management Bureau announced on its WeChat official account on Sunday (June 9, 2024) that the dragon boat capsized during training at around 5 p.m. on June 5, causing one person to die after rescue efforts failed and two people to lose contact.

The two missing persons were salvaged ashore at around 9 a.m. on June 9 and had no vital signs. Relevant investigations and follow-up work are underway. At the same time, Chongqing Xiushan County has canceled dragon boat events.

According to The Paper, the dragon boat was originally scheduled to participate in the Chongqing, Hunan, and Guizhou Border Region Dragon Boat Invitational held on the 8th and 9th. Some netizens said that many trainers did not wear life jackets. The relevant person in charge of the Xiushan County government responded that the accident has not yet been characterized, but the county will strengthen safety management for not wearing protective measures during training. The county will also conduct a key review of the accident and will never dare to slack off on safety work, and will promptly fill in the existing loopholes.