Tourists saw more than they were expecting when they visited a newly opened marina offering boat trips on a lake when the bridge to the boats collapsed – dumping dozens of them in the river.
Video footage of the incident shows how dozens of buses turned up allowing hundreds of people to walk across the bridge to the boats at the same time.
But seconds into the rush of people heading over the bridge it simply collapsed in the middle, dumping dozens into the water including elderly Chinese and children.
People are seen struggling to stay afloat and scrambling over each other as the water floods onto the bridge, and eye witnesses then threw dozens of life rings to keep them afloat.
The wharf opened in September for the pleasure boats with parking for buses was built because Xihai is famous for its mountains and clear waters in south Chinas Jiangxi province.
A spokesman for the builders denied the bridge was clear, saying: “It was designed for 40 people, not 200. They should have not allowed so many on at the same time.
No one died in the incident but there were many people who had mobile phones ruined or who faced an uncomfortable ride home in wet clothing.