Shenzhen has issued China's first fines for individuals who enter dangerous areas during typhoons after two hikers required rescue and were penalized 5,000 yuan each.

On July 19, the two individuals went on a hike in Dapeng New District despite an active blue typhoon alert for Typhoon Wipha. They became stranded in the worsening storm and called for emergency assistance. Rescuers spent 12 hours locating them and bringing them to safety.

Following the incident, the Dapeng New District Emergency Management Bureau levied a 5,000 yuan fine on each hiker on Aug 15. The fines were issued under the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Regulations on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

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A bureau official noted that Dapeng's scenic coastal mountains attract hikers, but there have been numerous instances of visitors entering hazardous zones despite active typhoon or storm warnings.

This enforcement follows a June measure by the Dapeng District Government designating key areas – including the core zones of the Dapeng Peninsula Municipal Nature Reserve, the Shenzhen Dapeng Peninsula National Geopark, and its maritime jurisdictions – as temporary natural disaster risk zones during specific disaster warnings.

Online reactions to the fines have been overwhelmingly positive, with many netizens applauding the action and calling for similar penalties to be adopted nationwide. Such cases of individuals venturing into restricted or closed areas, necessitating rescues and drawing criticism for their ignorance, recklessness, and waste of public resources, have occurred frequently in recent years.

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This article is translated by China Daily from the original report in Chinese as published on the WeChat public accounts of China Emergency Management News and China National Radio.