What was supposed to be a fun and exciting Chinese New Year trip turned traumatic for six Chinese tourists after the boat they boarded capsized off a coast in Cambodia.

The official Xinhua news agency has reported that the six Chinese tourists - four females and two males - were onboard a small express boat on their way to Koh Rong island resort when the boat capsized.

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The incident occurred at 10:35 a.m. off the Cambodian coast of Preah Sihanouk province amidst a winter storm, a senior police official said.

The six Chinese tourists, however, were timely rescued along with the two Cambodian sailors, said Gen. Chuon Narin, police chief of Preah Sihanouk province.

"Our patrolling forces had timely rescued the victims. They were all safe," Narin told Xinhua, adding that all the passengers were wearing life jackets when the boat capsized.

Narin said the Cambodian sailors could be blamed for the incident because the captain allegedly defied orders for them not to sail due to bad weather condition.

The identities of the six Chinese tourists have not been disclosed by authorities as of this posting but Narin assured that the local government will extend the necessary assistance to the victims.

Because of its exotic destinations and white sandy beaches that feature crystal clear waters, Cambodia is one of the top Chinese destinations in Southeast Asia.

This year, at least 120 million Chinese are expected to travel abroad, prompting many countries to beef up their tourism marketing campaign by offering various perks, including visa free travels, just to entice a huge number of the travelling Chinese.

According to travel groups, China is one of the high-spending tourists around the world although the Chinese government has been warning its tourists to behave while in other countries. 

TagsChinese Tourists, Chinese Tourists Cambodia, Cambodia Boat Sinking