FUZHOU - Thirty-six people were rescued, but one remained missing, after their dragon boat capsized during a competition in Fujian Province to mark the traditional Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday.

A total of 37 rowers fell into the Min River at 1:30 p.m. after their dragon boat capsized in turbulent water under a bridge in Nanping City, according to witnesses and local officials.

Most rowers managed to swim to a downstream barge and were pulled onto the boat alive, but one man was reported missing after the rescue, said an official from the city's fire control department.

The official said the water level in the river had surged due to the continuous downpours in the region.

Local authorities in Nanping have ordered the competition to be halted after the accident, and the search for the missing man is ongoing.

Dragon boat races and eating rice dumplings are two activities widely observed in China during the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day on the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.