25 dead, thousands evacuated as severe floods hit China

SUMMARY

China routinely experiences floods during the summer, but the growth of cities and conversion of farmland into subdivisions has worsened the impact of such events.

By APAPJul 22, 2021 1:33:25 PM IST (Published)

An aerial view shows a flooded road section following heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou, Henan province. China’s military has blasted a dam to release floodwaters threatening one of the country's most heavily populated provinces, as the death toll from the widespread flooding rose to at least 25.

A traffic police officer guides residents to cross a flooded road with a rope during heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou. The dam operation was carried out late Tuesday night in the city of Luoyang, just as severe flooding overwhelmed the Henan provincial capital of Zhengzhou, trapping residents in thesubwaysystem and stranding them at schools, apartments and offices.

Transport and work have been disrupted throughout the province, with rain turning streets into rapidly flowing rivers, washing away cars and rising into people’s homes. (Image & text: AP)

At least 10 trains carrying about 10,000 passengers were halted, including three for more than 40 hours, according to Caixin, a business news magazine. Sections of 26 highways were closed due to the rain, the Transport Ministry said on its social media account. (Image & text: AP)

A blackout shut down ventilators at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, forcing staff to use hand-pumped airbags to help patients breathe, according to the city’s Communist Party committee. It said more than 600 patients were being transferred to other hospitals.

Henan province has many cultural sites and is a major base for industry and agriculture. It is crisscrossed by multiple waterways, many of them linked to the Yellow River, which has a long history of bursting its banks during periods of intensive rainfall.

China routinely experiences floods during the summer, but the growth of cities and conversion of farmland into subdivisions has worsened the impact of such events.