Massive rescue efforts after river overflows
Source: Xinhua |
August 23, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Some 253,500 residents have been safely evacuated in northeast China's Liaoning Province after torrential rain caused waters to rise to their highest level in more than a decade along a major river bordering China and North Korea.
The residents were relocated in less than 24 hours between late Saturday and yesterday, provincial flood control authorities said.
Four people were killed and one was still missing due to floods in the city of Dandong, facing Sin'uiju City in North Korea.
Heavy rain that began last Thursday had swollen Yalu River, which marks the border of China and North Korea. On Saturday night, the water level at one monitoring station in Dandong was 2.35 meters above the warning line, the second highest since records began in 1934.
Water levels began to dip late yesterday as the rain stopped, but provincial authorities warned that the danger had not yet passed.
Workers are racing to build sandbag flood barriers along parts of the river where the water overflowed.
More than 2,000 soldiers and crews were mobilized to rescue stranded residents. About 70 vehicles, 38 speedboats and six helicopters were used in rescue operations.
The flooding caused 361 houses to collapse and cut transport links, communications and power supplies in some areas.
Rainfall of up to 65 centimeters was recorded in the worst-hit areas.
In most parts of the Yalu River basin it ranged from 20cm to 40cm, said Wang Dianwu, director of Dandong's hydrographic bureau.
China has been suffering from a string of rain-triggered disasters recently as the country battles its worst floods in more than a decade.
In the southwestern province of Yunnan, 29 people were killed and 63 remained missing as of yesterday, four days after mudslides hit the remote mountain town of Puladi.
"The chances of survival for the missing people are slim as the mudslides occurred more than 72 hours ago," Hou Xinrong, director of the public security bureau in Gongshan County, said on Saturday.
Flooding blocked delivery of relief supplies to Puladi Town. Traffic on a road bridge was cut after the flooding of the Dongyuegu River.
Vehicles transporting relief goods to the town are taking a 90 minute detour until the floodwaters subside. Residents living near the river have been evacuated.
Local officials were ordered to carry out pre-emptive evacuations to avoid heavy casualties.
Minister of Land and Resources Xu Shaoshi ordered local officials not to hesitate in forcing residents in disasters-threatened zones to move.
"As long as there is a sign of geological disasters looming, officials should take it seriously and carry out the evacuations," Xu said.
The residents were relocated in less than 24 hours between late Saturday and yesterday, provincial flood control authorities said.
Four people were killed and one was still missing due to floods in the city of Dandong, facing Sin'uiju City in North Korea.
Heavy rain that began last Thursday had swollen Yalu River, which marks the border of China and North Korea. On Saturday night, the water level at one monitoring station in Dandong was 2.35 meters above the warning line, the second highest since records began in 1934.
Water levels began to dip late yesterday as the rain stopped, but provincial authorities warned that the danger had not yet passed.
Workers are racing to build sandbag flood barriers along parts of the river where the water overflowed.
More than 2,000 soldiers and crews were mobilized to rescue stranded residents. About 70 vehicles, 38 speedboats and six helicopters were used in rescue operations.
The flooding caused 361 houses to collapse and cut transport links, communications and power supplies in some areas.
Rainfall of up to 65 centimeters was recorded in the worst-hit areas.
In most parts of the Yalu River basin it ranged from 20cm to 40cm, said Wang Dianwu, director of Dandong's hydrographic bureau.
China has been suffering from a string of rain-triggered disasters recently as the country battles its worst floods in more than a decade.
In the southwestern province of Yunnan, 29 people were killed and 63 remained missing as of yesterday, four days after mudslides hit the remote mountain town of Puladi.
"The chances of survival for the missing people are slim as the mudslides occurred more than 72 hours ago," Hou Xinrong, director of the public security bureau in Gongshan County, said on Saturday.
Flooding blocked delivery of relief supplies to Puladi Town. Traffic on a road bridge was cut after the flooding of the Dongyuegu River.
Vehicles transporting relief goods to the town are taking a 90 minute detour until the floodwaters subside. Residents living near the river have been evacuated.
Local officials were ordered to carry out pre-emptive evacuations to avoid heavy casualties.
Minister of Land and Resources Xu Shaoshi ordered local officials not to hesitate in forcing residents in disasters-threatened zones to move.
"As long as there is a sign of geological disasters looming, officials should take it seriously and carry out the evacuations," Xu said.
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