China detains 2 over tourist boat capsizing that killed 12, citing lack of safety equipment

Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese state media report that two people have been detained following the capsizing of a tourist boat on a river in the country’s northeast that led to the drowning deaths of 12 people. The accident struck Saturday afternoon outside the city of Qinhuangdao near the coast of Hebei province, northeast of the capital Beijing. A total of 31 people were thrown into the water. The boat was reportedly made by local villagers and was unequipped with life jackets or other safety equipment. The boat’s owner and operator were held while an investigation into the accident is underway.