A group of Chinese tourists riding gondolas in Venice, Italy, fell into the water after moving around on the boat to take photos, ignoring the gondolier's instructions.
According to Italy's ANSA news agency, the accident occurred on the afternoon of the 2nd (local time) when the gondola was passing under a low bridge on Rio de la Verona in Venice. The word "gondola" in Italian means "to sway," and it refers to the small boats that navigate throughout Venice. Because gondolas are narrow, passengers must never make large movements or stand up while on board.
Tourists who fell into the water after a gondola capsized. [Image source=Social Networking Service 'X']
However, the tourists moved around on the gondola to take photos. The gondolier shouted, "It is dangerous to move, so please stay still," but the tourists reportedly did not listen. Eventually, the gondola lost its balance and capsized due to the tourists' movements. As a result, all five tourists and the gondolier fell into the cold water. Fortunately, the water was not deep, and all of them are reported to be unharmed.
A video of the accident scene was recorded by a bystander and became a major topic on local social media (SNS). The video shows the tourists who fell into the water desperately trying to climb onto passing gondolas. Local media reported that all the tourists involved were Chinese.
Meanwhile, controversies over disruptive behavior by Chinese tourists are not new. In June, three Chinese tourists caused a stir after stepping on coral reefs and touching starfish while scuba diving near Racha Island, close to Phuket Island in Thailand. In Thailand, damaging marine ecosystems by catching starfish or stepping on coral reefs can result in up to two years in prison and a fine of 200,000 baht (approximately 7.48 million KRW).
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