A mountain torrent struck a group of tourists and one local guide last Thursday in Mawei, a port city in Fujian Province, when they were trying to wade across a stream after a picnic. Of the eight hikers engulfed by the flood, five were rescued. The bodies of the other three victims were found over the weekend.

The bodies of one woman and the guide were recovered on Saturday. Marine police found the body of the third victim, another female hiker, floating in the sea near the Yingqian holiday resort of Changle City on Sunday.

The hikers were all employees of a restaurant in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province.

On Friday, a fishing boat from Xiapu County in Fujian capsized with 16 people aboard, about 70 nautical miles off Nanqi Island. The accident occurred at approximately 5:00 PM, when the boat encountered force 10 winds in the East China Sea.

According to local sources, the fishermen sought help from nearby ships but the strong gale stymied rescue efforts.

Local governments launched rescue operations, but the approach of Typhoon Haima forced them to be suspended Sunday afternoon.

At about 8:10 AM on Friday, strong gales capsized a freight ship carrying sand in the East China Sea off the coast of Fuzhou. Seven sailors were rescued and five others remain missing.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2004)