Be wary of water in summer, urges govt

Residents, especially parents and children, have been warned of the heightened risk of drowning as the city approaches the school summer vacation, the capital's water administration said Tuesday.

Over 40 people drowned last year, one third of whom were children during the summer vacation, said Beijing Water Administration and Law-enforcement Office on its website.

According to the water administration, the top spots where people fall victim to accidental drowning are ponds and rivers in outlying areas of the capital, in places such as Miyun county or Huairou district.

"There are warning signs and patrols along the Jingmi River, but there's no way we can stop every individual in the neighborhood sneaking in to swim," said an official, surnamed Zhang, from Jingmi River administration office in Huairou district.

On June 9, 16 students drowned in three different cities nationwide, and the Ministry of Education launched a safety alert the next day, ordering every school to issue a letter to parents, urging them to strengthen supervision of their children during the summer break.

The mother of an 11-year-old girl, surnamed Yan, said that her daughter's school, the Primary School Attached to Peking University, issued all parents a letter the day the 16 students drowned.

"I believe the letter was effective in warning parents, as I've decided not to let my daughter swim in the swimming pool when her grandparents take care of her this summer," Yan said.

"Children without guardians can be seen running near bodies of water, and they are in danger of slipping and falling in. Parents and families should watch out for them, especially children left unattended by migrant worker parents," said Wang Zhengliang, a media officer from Beijing water administration.

In July, 2008, two children drowned in the Jingmi River. The parents sued the river administration, accusing it of inadequate safety measures and asked for 360,000 yuan each ($46,404) in compensation.

Changping district court ruled for the parents, saying the administration should have installed security fencing in addition to the warning signs, but lowered the compensation to 90,000 yuan, as the parents held some responsibility.

A 14-year-old boy from a nearby school died in 2007 at the same spot, but this time the court overruled the parents' charges, believing that the warning signs posted were enough at that time.