Tourists Swept Away By Qiantang River Current While Taking Selfies: Viral Video

Super Typhoon Yagi , Asia's fiercest storm this year, has devastated China , the Philippines, and Vietnam. Amid the chaos, a viral video of tourists in the Chinese Qiantang River taking selfies as powerful currents sweep them away has grabbed attention online.

The video, now with over 691,000 views, shows several people being caught off guard by the river's surging waters while trying to capture the moment on their phones. Many narrowly escaped harm. An X user, @volcaholic1, shared the video with a caption, “WARNING – disturbing (And I post this as a warning). Another video of people taking dangerous selfies. This is Qiantang River in China a couple of days ago.” The authenticity of the video remains unverified.

The footage sparked outrage and concern. One viewer criticized the tourists' poor judgment, saying, “Are these people morons? And the parents are taking the kids with them? A group of people with intellectual problems.” Another comment stressed, “Nature always wins. Never underestimate it.” A third user highlighted the importance of raising awareness about the dangers of risky selfies, particularly in hazardous environments like the Qiantang River.

This incident recalls a similar event in 2013, where a tidal bore at the Qiantang River injured at least 30 people, according to the BBC.

Super Typhoon Yagi has been devastating, claiming four lives on China's Hainan Island, 16 in the Philippines, and prompting the evacuation of nearly 50,000 people from Vietnam's coastal towns, as reported by CNN.