Six students drown after boat sinks in South China

Six primary school students drowned after their boat capsized in a flooded river in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, an official report said on Tuesday.

The accident occurred when water suddenly rushed into the bow of the craft, causing the engine to stall. The boat capsized and the 37 passengers aboard plunged into the water, Xinhua news agency reported.

Five students were reported missing whereas 32 passengers were rescued later, the state news agency said adding, that one student died.

Local government officials rushed to the spot to direct the rescue operations.

The bodies of the five missing were fished out later, the reports said.

Consistent torrential rains and landslides in Southern China have killed at least 148 people, affected 45 million.