Rescue work underway as torrential rains batter parts of China

Local governments in areas hit by recent downpours in China are intensifying efforts to rescue residents trapped by floods, as torrential rains persist across some regions in the country.

On Saturday, heavy rainfall in Neijiang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, led to urban waterlogging and landslides in some areas. The local firefighters swiftly responded to rescue operations. Firefighters transferred residents trapped in low-lying areas to safe place promptly, especially the elderly with mobility difficulties.

Rubber boats were also used to rescue and transport stranded passengers from cars as floodwaters inundated the streets. Water suction pumps were deployed to drain water from waterlogged residential areas, ensuring the safety and convenience of affected residents.

In addition, a landslide caused by the heavy rainfall sent a large amount of soil and gravel downhill, blocking the exit routes of a residential building at the foot of the hill and trapping residents inside. local firefighters quickly entered the building to conduct emergency search and rescue operations, successfully evacuating five stranded individuals.

As rainfall persisted in Neijiang, a level-III emergency response for flood control was implemented on Sunday morning.

In addition to Neijiang, some parts of Xinyang City in central China's Henan Province were hit by recent torrential rains, with rainfall peaking at 58.1 mm per hour. On Saturday afternoon, Zhaopeng Village in Shangcheng County experienced rising floodwaters, trapping elderly people and children in their homes. Local rescuers swiftly responded, using rubber boats to transfer the trapped villagers or carry them on back to safety.

As of Sunday morning, heavy rainfall continued in Xinyang, prompting the local meteorological station to issue an orange alert for rainstorms.

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most urgent response, and a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.

Rescue work underway as torrential rains batter parts of China

China's box office revenue for the three-day Qingming Festival holiday that started on Friday, including pre-sales, had exceeded 370 million yuan (50.8 million U.S. dollars) as of 20:01 on Sunday, according to box office tracker Dengta Data, with the video game adaptation "A Minecraft Movie" taking the top spot.

The U.S. animated film, based on the best-selling game, has been a major draw, accounting for over 25 percent of screenings in Shanghai. Its popularity is fueled by a dedicated fanbase, with young moviegoers expressing their affection to the game.

"I've been playing the game since I was a little girl," said a young moviegoer, while another added, "I started to play it when I was in Grade Two [of primary school], so I've been playing it for about eight years."

While the game adaption benefits from a strong fanbase, other niche releases, such as the Japanese anime "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX," also attracted their target audiences, securing the sixth spot in the box office rankings. Two realism-focused films, "We Girls" and "Mumu," captured the second and fourth places, respectively.

The re-release of the blockbuster animated film "Ne Zha 2" performed strongly, landing in the third place with over 71 million yuan (9.75 million U.S. dollars) in sales.

Despite the success of "Ne Zha 2" during the Spring Festival holiday season running from late January to early February, the market has yet to see another major blockbuster emerge.

Smaller, independent films often struggle to reach audiences due to limited marketing, especially during competitive holiday periods.

Lu Ying, a cinema manager, suggests that extending the theatrical runs of these films during off-peak times can tap into targeted audiences and create benefits in the long run.

"A film maintaining a momentum of popularity for two weekends, followed by other good releases, is a right rhythm for cinemas as we expect," Lu noted.

China's box office exceeds 370 million yuan during Qingming Festival holiday