鳳凰吊橋側翻20多人落水 疑爲遊客興奮搖晃所致

A total of 24 tourists have been rescued after they fell into a river from a tilted suspension bridge at a popular tourist town in central China on Wednesday night.

They had been sent to hospitals and only two who suffered from minor injuries remained in hospital for further observation, according to the government of Fenghuang county, Hunan Province.

About 40 people, who returned from a bonfire party, were on the bridge when the bridge floor suddenly tilted in Fenghuang at around 9:10 p.m., the county's deputy head Cai Long told Xinhua.

More than 20, including children and elderly people, fell into the 1.2-meter-deep river water, Cai said, citing eyewitnesses.

A total of 15 people managed to climb onto the river bank on their own, Cai said.

Search and rescue work is still underway to ensure no one was left out, the county government said.

The county authorities have ordered all hotels and inns in Fenghuang to check if all the guests have returned.

All bonfire parties and other leisure programs in the town have been suspended for safety checkups.

Wednesday marks the end of the three-day May Day holiday.

快訊：據鳳凰縣官方介紹，5月1日晚9點10分左右，鳳凰縣桃花島篝火晚會跨河吊橋因受力橋墩斷裂，出現橋面傾斜，從篝火晚會散場的遊客經過吊橋時落水。

據多名在場的遊客介紹，在過橋時，很多遊客一同搖晃索橋，導致索橋斷落，發生側翻。

據鳳凰縣委常委、副縣長蔡龍介紹，現場工作人員目擊，橋上約有40人，其中20多人落水。遊客落水處水深約1.2米，落水遊客中有老人和小孩。

據凰縣政府辦通報，截至今晨零點30分，落水遊客已基本搜尋上岸，其中24人送往醫院檢查，2人輕微傷留院觀察，其餘22人返回賓館休息。爲防遺漏，搜尋工作仍在進行。

鳳凰縣已控制篝火晚會負責人，並對全縣所有賓館進行遊客排查登記，並組織相關部門、鄉鎮、村幹部對下游進行仔細搜尋。當地政府現已要求全縣篝火晚會及鄉村遊景點停業，進行安全檢查。