Tide sweeps away dozens in China
BEIJING, Aug 3 (Reuters) - At least 11 people are missing after a tidal current in southeastern China swept more than 30 people out to sea, state media said.
Twenty-two people were rescued after the tide rushed up the mouth of the Qiantang River on the outskirts of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, the China News Service said on Friday, citing local police.
The missing included a 10-year-old girl, her father and a university student, according to a report on Zhejiang's official news portal (www.zjol.com.cn).
The victims had either been swimming in the river or walking along a levee when the tide hit on Thursday, it said.
Rescue efforts had continued into the night, the agencies said.
The Qiantang's trumpet-shaped mouth makes for dangerously large tides as water rushes up the mouth of the river, the Xinhua news agency said. Tourists often travel to witness the tides, and accidents are not uncommon.
The deadliest accident there occurred in 1993, when a tide swept 86 people away, killing 19 and leaving 40 missing, Xinhua said.
