17 tourists missing from China's natural reserve rescued

Seventeen tourists who went missing while camping at a nature reserve in southern China amidst heavy rains have been traced by rescuers, authorities said today.

The campers, mostly from the cities of Liuzhou and Hechi, arrived at the Changtanhe Nature Reserve in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on October 2 but was caught in rising waters of a river, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

One of the campers called his wife on Monday saying that they were trapped at the camping site after the water level of a river suddenly rose and were in need of rescue.

China had been battered by rainstorms since Typhoon Mujigae landed in southern China on Sunday.
 

Rising river and rugged mountain roads have added difficulties for the rescue, authorities said.