‘Your books saved me. It’s time for me to rescue you’: Netizens help flood-hit China bookstore

HEBEI - Netizens have rallied around BooksChina.com, one of the country’s biggest online bookstores, which has been severely affected by

the heavy rain and flooding triggered by Typhoon Doksuri.

In a statement issued on its website and multiple social media platforms – including WeChat and Sina Weibo – the bookseller said its warehouse in Zhuozhou in northern China’s Hebei province suffered the “most destructive impact” from flooding since the company was founded 25 years ago.

More than four million books, which accounted for roughly 80 per cent of its inventory, have been damaged by floodwaters, the statement said.

On Tuesday night, after the company sent out messages on social media saying that some of its employees were trapped on the fourth floor of the warehouse, netizens helped direct emergency responders to the location.

Some social media users offered to buy damaged books, while others said they were willing to make donations to help BooksChina.com survive the ordeal.

Hebei was battered by heavy rainfall for about 144 hours from July 27, with Zhuozhou receiving 355mm of rainfall between 8am on Saturday and 11am on Tuesday.

More than 130,000 people in the city southwest of Beijing were affected, according to the local authorities.

Hebei serves as a logistics hub for many companies in Beijing, and nearly 100 publishing houses keep their books stocked in Zhuozhou.

At around 1.30pm on Tuesday, employees working at the Books­China.com warehouse shifted some books from the first floor to higher floors, and stacked sandbags at the entrance, according to news website ThePaper.cn.

However, floodwaters inundated the first floor within an hour, and employees rushed to take shelter on the fourth floor.

It all happened too quickly, and they did not have enough resources to relocate all the books, the employees said.

At around 9pm on Tuesday, the company sent out messages seeking help.

By 9am on Wednesday, rescuers found all employees who were trapped in the warehouse and evacuated them to safety.

Netizens, who helped organise the rescue, sent words of encouragement to the company.

Many ordered more books, gift cards and other items to extend their support.

“I have bought many books on your website, some of which saved me. It is time for me to rescue you,” said one Weibo user.

Another user wrote, “Those who survive big disasters are blessed with good fortune afterwards.”

The company, which mentioned in a statement that the books at its Zhuo­zhou warehouse were almost its “entire stock”, said it will not sell the damaged and contaminated books as it valued its readers’ safety more.

“We have lost many out-of-print books,” the company said in another post. “Many of our previous online orders cannot be delivered. After the flood recedes, we will check how many books can still be sold.”

It added: “Your support gives us the confidence to overcome this difficult period.”

BooksChina.com needs three to four weeks to go over pending online orders, and will call or send text messages to clients whose orders cannot be delivered, the company said, adding that those clients will have their money refunded. CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK