THE railing on an iron-chain bridge crowded with tourists gave way yesterday in a lake resort north of Guangzhou, leaving one person dead and 10 others missing, according to Guangzhou television. More than 60 people were thrown into the lake when the railing of the simple bridge, built with wooden bars linked with two iron chains, broke suddenly, according to the report. The accident was in Tianhu, a favourite tourist spot in the hot spring zone in the city of Conghua, north of the provincial capital. Some of the victims swam to the shore, and three hours after the accident, local fishermen had managed to rescue 16 others. The report said some victims were unconscious by the time they reached the shore. Although it is situated in a hot spring area, the lake had a normal water temperature, according to a spokesman for the Conghua municipal government. The spokesman refused to confirm the toll of dead and injured, but he said the public could be assured the Government had done all it could to rescue the victims. He said those injured had been sent to the local People's Hospital. But another spokesman for the municipal government claimed the victims had all been released and all those rescued were 'all right now'. Analysts said the accident could hurt the tourist industry in Conghua, which has been thriving recently thanks to an aggressive promotional campaign. They said local officials were reticent because of instructions from Beijing that they must toe the central line when releasing information.
