In China, 2 people have been arrested for overturning a tourist boat that killed 12 people due to lack of safety equipment

BEIJING (AP) — Two people have been arrested after a tourist boat capsized on a river in northeastern China, drowning 12 visitors, state media said Sunday.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon outside the coastal city of Qinghuangdao in Hebei province, several hours from the capital Beijing.

A total of 31 people were thrown into the water. According to Xinhua news agency, the boat was built by local villagers and was not equipped with life jackets or other safety equipment.

The owner and operator of the boat were arrested pending an investigation into the accident. China is a country of mighty rivers, and such deadly accidents were common in recent years until safety improvements were made.

China's tourism industry and economy as a whole have struggled to recover after the authoritarian Communist Party partially lifted severe restrictions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Rural communities have long struggled to find jobs and income, prompting the migration of the working-age population to cities.

Associated Press, Associated Press