Twenty-one people were killed and 47 others are still missing after a passenger ship capsized on the Jialing River in Sichuan Province.

The ship overturned at 7:30 AM Monday in Peng’an County, near Nanchong City.

The Chuanpengke 29 was carrying 132 passengers and three crew from Shijiaba village to Jinxi town along the Jialing, a major branch of the Yangtze River.

As it approached its destination, a sudden rapid current caused by construction of a local hydropower station caused the boat to capsize, throwing everyone on board into the water.

Sixty-seven people have been rescued. Two people died after being taken to the hospital, and 24 survivors are still being treated but are in stable condition. Nineteen bodies have been recovered, according to Nanchong Mayor Du Guanghui.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but a witness said that overloading might have been a contributing factor. The capacity of most local passenger ships is 50 to 70 people.

Local police have detained Zhu Jixue, the ship’s owner, and Liang Guangming, its operator. Police do not believe they are responsible for the accident, although the question of overloading remains.

It was the second major boat accident in less than a week.

Last Thursday, an unlicensed ferry carrying 69 passengers capsized on the Yellow River in north China’s Shanxi Province, killing 14 and leaving 34 missing.

Rescue and recovery operations are continuing, but chances of finding more survivors are slim.

As millions of people prepare to travel during the National Day “Golden Week” holiday beginning October 1, the issue of safety is arousing concern.

The State Council Work Safety Commission emphasized in the National Work Safety Meeting held last week in Beijing that governments at all levels should make every effort to avoid any major accidents.

In the first eight months of this year, 309 people were killed or are still missing in water traffic accidents, according to Wang Xianzheng, director of the State Administration of Work Safety.

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2004)