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At least 28 die as river boat sinks in China
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-03-16 16:11
At least 28 people died when a boat registered to carry only two passengers
sank on the Youxi river in southwest China's Sichuan province, a local official
said.
The accident occurred on Wednesday when the boat was transporting farmers
home from a rural fair, said the official, surnamed Yang, with the Yuechi county
bureau of work safety.
The victims included elderly people and children.
Only 10 survivors had so far been confirmed and rescuers believed the death
toll could rise, Yang said.
"We don't know exactly how many people were on the boat when it sank," said
Yang. He said the cause of the accident was still under investigation.
The boat, owned by a local farmer, had been transporting people across the
river illegally, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, confirming that it
was registered to carry just two passengers.
The river where the accident occurred was about 20 meters (66 feet) wide and
three meters deep, Xinhua said.
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