Xi urges all-out search, rescue efforts following boat capsizing in SW China

BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday urged all-out efforts to search those falling into water and treat the injured after two boats capsized in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The tourist boats capsized on a river in a tourist attraction in Qianxi City, Guizhou Province, around 4:40 p.m. Sunday, leaving three people dead and 14 others missing. A total of 60 people have been hospitalized for treatment.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made an important instruction, demanding utmost search and rescue efforts as well as efforts to properly handle affairs related to the victims and console their families.

Stressing that several incidents have occurred recently in various regions, which resulted in fatalities and injuries, Xi urged local authorities and relevant departments to learn from these lessons, resolutely overcoming complacency and further reinforcing responsibilities across all related parties.

Xi underscored the importance of strengthening safety measures in tourist attractions, large public venues, residential communities, and holiday returning transportation to curb the trend of frequent severe safety incidents.

Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, urged full-scale rescue and treatment efforts, noting that local authorities should conduct comprehensive inspections at the end of the May Day holiday to eliminate potential risks in key locations and sectors, so as to prevent and curb the occurrence of major incidents.

Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, led a team to the site to guide the rescue and relief work. ■