BEIJING (AP) — Two boats transporting approximately 70 individuals capsized in the Wu River, located in Guizhou Province, southwestern China, during a severe weather event on Sunday afternoon. The incident has left around 20 people unaccounted for, spurring urgent rescue efforts in the area.

As per reports from the official Xinhua news agency, rescuers successfully retrieved 50 individuals from the river by Sunday evening. Search operations continued into the late hours, focusing on the Qianxi area of Guizhou province, where the tragedy occurred.

The boats overturned amid a sudden hailstorm accompanied by strong winds, a weather change that struck the Wu River, which is a tributary of the Yangtze River, recognized as one of China’s longest rivers. Eyewitness accounts revealed that the waters were notably deep; however, some bystanders managed to swim to safety despite the ferocity of the storm and a thick mist obscuring the river’s surface.

In a video released by state media, dramatic scenes unfolded as a man was seen administering CPR to another individual lying on one of the boats. The footage also captured one of the capsized vessels drifting upside down, with its bottom clearly visible to onlookers.

Rescue teams faced significant challenges due to the weather conditions but remain committed to finding the missing individuals as the situation unfolds. The storm's abrupt arrival has been noted as a key factor in the accident, leading to the boats being unable to cope with the turbulent waters.

As of now, the focus remains on the ongoing rescue efforts as authorities work to locate those still missing from the incident, while investigations will likely follow to determine additional details surrounding the event and the factors that contributed to the capsizing of the boats.