BEIJING
Seven visitors at a mountainous Chinese resort have been killed after a large boulder fell onto a dock as they were about to board a boat in the southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, local media reported Friday.
Another 25 people were injured when the boulder and broken rock fragments tumbled onto a dock for sightseeing boats at the Diecai Mountain resort in Guilin city Thursday morning, according to the state-run China Daily.
Four people died at the scene and three others after being rushed to hospital.
Thirteen of those injured have been discharged from hospital after receiving treatment, while two underwent surgery and 10 others remain in stable condition and under observation.
The victims were mostly made up of visitors from China and eight tourists from Taiwan.
The largest rock fragment at the scene near the entrance of the Mulong cave measured around 3 meters (almost 10 feet) in diameter.
Zhou Zhengxi, a safety guard at a nearby hotel, was cited by the Daily as saying that due to the mountainous landscape and weather, falling rocks are not rare this time of year.
"In the past, the government would remove loose rocks on the mountain to ensure safety," Zhou said.
"It's just the beginning of spring, so they haven't started to do the work."
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
A warning sign had been put up at the site two years ago after a similar incident occurred without causing any casualties.
“Please don’t linger around this area which is vulnerable to geological disasters due to dangerous rocks,” it cautions.
According to the Shanghai Daily, local geological authorities have launched a comprehensive inspection of all sites in danger of rock falls.
Known for it mountainous landscape, Guilin is prone to landfalls due to its soluble rock formations.
