Rescue and relief efforts intensify as rain risks rise across southern China

CHANGSHA/GUANGZHOU, China – Emergency responders have intensified rescue and evacuation efforts across southern China as the impact of days of record-breaking rainfall in parts of the country continues to unfold, with flood threats, infrastructure damage and transportation disruptions persisting across several regions.

By the morning of May 21, the death toll from heavy rains stood at 16, with several people still unaccounted for in the provinces of Hunan, Guizhou and Hubei, authorities said.

In Guangdong province, Kaiping and Enping, under the administration of Jiangmen, issued notices to suspend classes from May 21, when heavy and torrential rains battered the county-level cities. Influenced by the south-west monsoon, extreme torrential rainfall hit Yangchun of Yangjiang city, Kaiping and Enping of Jiangmen, Doumen of Zhuhai, and nearby areas from May 20.

According to local authorities, the entire province is on alert to implement flood prevention measures, with more than 16,000 residents already evacuated from high-risk areas as of noon on May 21.

Early on May 21, an elderly couple in Enping – one of whom was immobile – were trapped at home, facing a risk of house collapse amid rising floodwaters at any time.

Enping fire brigade immediately dispatched one vehicle and six people to rush to the scene but encountered a flood blocking their way. Given the emergency, firefighters found a bamboo ladder from a nearby village to build a simple bridge over the rushing water, finally reaching the couple and pulling them to safety.

The whole rescue operation lasted 30 minutes.

Shimen county in Hunan is among the hardest-hit areas in the province, where the death toll rose to six persons, with 10 others still missing as of the morning of May 21. This follows the first round of heavy rain that began on the morning of May 17, according to local authorities.

By May 21, 146 firefighters, equipped with 40 fire trucks and three boats from across the province, had been dispatched to five key locations for rescue operations, authorities said. The Hunan Department of Emergency Management also deployed two helicopters to conduct aerial reconnaissance, search and rescue missions, and deliver emergency supplies to isolated areas.

Mr Wei Ke, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Atmospheric Physics, told Chengdu-based media outlet Hongxing News, that the intense rainfall may be linked to strong moisture transport from the South China Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

He added that this could be closely related to global warming, noting that studies suggest a 1.5 deg C rise in temperature may increase atmospheric moisture transport by more than 10 per cent.

Meteorological authorities said a new round of widespread rainfall is forecast to sweep across parts of the country in the coming days, warning of secondary disasters. CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK