At least 8 people were killed and 3 are missing after a rising tide swept away more than 30 people in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province on Thursday (August 2).
Thousands of people travelled to Hangzhou each year around the 8th month of the lunar calendar to witness a nature phenomenon, the tidal bore of Qiantang River. A tidal bore is a tidal wave that travels up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the current. Qiantang’s tidal bore is the world’s largest and could reach up to 9 metres.
Most of the victims were non-locals, as the Qiantang residents are fully aware of the danger of the tide. The local government has hired a group of local people to patrol the river and warn people of the danger of incoming tides… but seems like it was not working to keep the enthusiastic visitors away.
The ‘watching’ of the tidal bore could date back to 2000 years ago in Chinese history. The worst recorded tidal accident at Qiantang was in October 3, 1993… the tidewater swept away 86 people from the levee, leaving 19 dead, 40 missing and 27 injured. [Crienglish]