Rainwater has damaged more than 215,200 hectares of crops, causing approximately 1.22 billion . has suffered a direct economic loss of yuan (approximately USD 188.6 million), state-run Xinhua has news agency reported
The death toll in central China’s unprecedented floods has reached 33, with eight people missing after the heaviest rain in 1,000 years, officials said on Thursday. The provincial emergency management department said the torrential rains affected nearly three million people in Henan province, and a total of 376,000 local residents were evacuated.
The rainwater damaged more than 215,200 hectares of crops, causing direct economic losses of about 1.22 billion yuan (about 188.6 million USD), the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The massive flooding, described by meteorologists as a once-in-a-lifetime event, resulted in Henan and its provincial capital, Zhengzhou, a metropolis of 12.6 million, with an increase in its public avenues and subway tunnels. submerged together. Water.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) destroyed a damaged dam to divert the rising waters of a flooded river after the province received its heaviest rainfall in 1,000 years. Twelve people died and five others were injured when metro stations were engulfed in floods. The victims died when their metro train was hit by fast-moving flood waters on Tuesday night. Two people died when the wall collapsed.
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Videos posted on Chinese social media showed passengers stuck on subway trains clinging to handlebars and waiting impatiently for help as floodwaters rose up to their necks. Official media released videos of rescue workers helping to protect people trapped in subway tunnels. Videos showed people trying to get out of the floodplain in the city’s downtown, while several cars and other vehicles were washed away. Some videos also show people falling into huge caves in the streets.
Rain water washed away in the metro tunnel of Line 5 of the city, trapping an unknown number of passengers in a metro train. Describing the flood situation as serious, President Xi Jinping ordered the deployment of the PLA and said that officials at all levels should give top priority to ensuring the safety and property of the people as massive floods engulfed the province and the city of Zhengzhou. Destroyed.
Xinhua quoted President Xi as saying that the rain had made the flood control situation very serious, causing massive waterlogging in Zhengzhou and other cities, with water levels in some rivers exceeding danger levels and Dams of some reservoirs have been damaged. He said parts of the railways have also been closed and some flights have been cancelled.
Henan is home to many cultural sites and a major base for industry and agriculture. Reports said that the Shaolin temple, which is known for the martial arts mastery of Buddhist monks, was also badly affected by the floods. Heavy waterlogging has led to virtual paralysis of the city’s road traffic.
Over 80 bus lines have been suspended, over 100 have been temporarily closed and metro services have also been temporarily suspended. The report said that police officers, firefighters and personnel from the local sub-district have reached the spot for rescue operations. It added that the water level inside the subway carriage is receding and passengers are temporarily safe.
More than 160 train services were stopped at Zhengzhoudong Railway Station. The airport in Zhengzhou canceled 260 flights in and out of the city, and local railway officials also stopped or delayed some trains. Many residential communities in the city affected by the typhoon are without tap water and electricity.
The Post reported that both Henan provincial and Zhengzhou municipal meteorological departments have upgraded the emergency response to meteorological disasters to Level I. There is no electricity in hospitals as well. The Zhengzhou Flood Control Headquarters issued a text message on Wednesday, warning residents that the Guojiazui Reservoir posed a serious security threat and called on the southwestern part of the city to evacuate immediately.
Read also | China explodes dam to divert floods, killing at least 12
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