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China launches all-out rescue, relief efforts following rain-triggered disasters

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      China

      China

      China launches all-out rescue, relief efforts following rain-triggered disasters

      2024-07-29 01:45 Last Updated At:06:17

      Local authorities in several parts of China are mobilizing all resources for emergency flood control and rescue operations as provinces such as Hunan, Liaoning, and Jilin have been battered by torrential rains for several days.

      Starting Saturday, heavy rains have affected eastern and southern Hunan Province in central China. The Hunan Meteorological Bureau has maintained a red alert for rainstorms, the highest level in the country's four-tier weather warning system.

      Chenzhou City, the province's hardest-hit area in the latest round of rainfall, has reported multiple disruptions to transportation, power supply, and telecommunications.

      To date, the province has evacuated more than 10,000 residents to safety and has intensified efforts to resume traffic and telecommunications while draining waterlogged areas.

      A house in Yuelin Village, Nanyue District of Hengyang City in Hunan Province, was washed away on Sunday after a devastating rain-triggered landslide struck the village.

      The disaster has claimed 15 lives and left 6 others injured. The injured have been transported to the hospital for treatment. Search and rescue operations have now concluded.

      The Ministry of Emergency Management has activated the Level-IV emergency response for geological disasters in Hunan and dispatched a task force to the village to guide rescue efforts.

      Northeast China's Liaoning Province is also experiencing heavy rainfall, with average precipitation surpassing 150 millimeters.

      The heavy showers have led to the waterlogging of farmland, with more than 4,000 hectares of cultivated land submerged.

      The local government has activated two standby drainage stations and deployed approximately 120 pumps to drain water, aiming to mitigate the damage caused by the heavy rains.

      Persistent downpours have swollen rivers in Liaoning, with the water levels of 10 rivers rising above the warning stage and 68 reservoirs exceeding the flood control level on Sunday.

      Personnel have been mobilized to patrol dikes, and over 50,000 residents have been relocated.

      "We have intensified monitoring to ensure rapid response and efficient handling, conducted scientific pre-discharge of reservoirs, and closely monitored areas prone to mountain torrents and waterlogging in urban and agricultural zones. Additionally, we have arranged for personnel to oversee and patrol these areas, pre-positioned flood prevention materials, and mobilized emergency rescue forces, sparing no effort in flood prevention and relief work," said Guo Shoukun, director of the Flood Control and Drought Relief Support Center at the Liaoning Provincial Department of Water Resources.

      The country's Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Sunday raised the emergency response for floods in Jilin Province of northeast China from Level IV to Level III.

      Torrential rains have also elevated the water level of the Yalu River, causing floodwaters to flow back into the urban area of Linjiang City.

      Local authorities have deployed personnel to construct a sandbag dike and have relocated residents from low-lying areas.

      The province has conducted more than 40,000 patrols, mobilized more than 12,000 vehicles, and evacuated nearly 50,000 residents.

      China State Railway Group (China Railway) has optimized its train operation plan by implementing measures such as speed limits, service suspensions, detours, and returns, while also enhancing equipment inspections.

      "China Railway has identified and addressed risks and potential dangers on more than 26,000 pieces of equipment and facilities in advance, including key railroad bridges," said Li Yanjun, deputy director of the Department of Bridge and Tunnel Construction.

      The country's State Grid issued warnings, promptly activated an emergency response, coordinated resources across the entire grid, and made every effort to patrol electrical power facilities.

      "We have pre-positioned emergency materials and equipment in disaster-prone areas to ensure a timely response and facilitate quick recovery," said Lyu Jun, Deputy Director of the Department of Grid Maintenance and Equipment Management.

      The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has organized the information and communications industry to closely monitor network operation status and reinforce the pre-positioning of emergency communication equipment and teams to enhance emergency response capabilities.

      China launches all-out rescue, relief efforts following rain-triggered disasters

      China launches all-out rescue, relief efforts following rain-triggered disasters

      Efforts are continuing to search for survivors of last Friday's powerful earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, as other post-disaster work proceeds in some parts of the city at the same time to clear the rubble of collapsed buildings, provide medical care for the injured and proper shelter for the affected, and prevent the spread of potential diseases.

      According to a Myanmar rescuer participating in search and rescue operations in the country's second-largest city, the clock is ticking down to find more survivors who remain buried under the debris of collapsed buildings more than five days after the 7.9-magnitude earthquake rocked the country. The disaster has claimed 3,085 lives, injured 4,715, and left 341 more missing, the Information Team of the State Administration Council said on Thursday local time.

      "The top priority for us rescuers is finding more survivors. But since a long time has already passed, our next main task will be to recover the bodies of the victims," Ko Kyaw Min, head of a rescue team from Hpakant, a town in Kachin State, told China Central Television (CCTV) in an interview on Thursday.

      Meanwhile, the search and rescue operations as well as epidemic prevention and control efforts in Mandalay are facing multiple hurdles such as a lack of power and water supplies, a communication blackout, and high temperatures that have persisted for days.

      The relevant authorities in Mandalay are going all out to restore electricity, water and communication services in the stricken areas and have brought in large machinery to clear the rubble and debris.

      An air route dedicated to disaster relief has been put into operation at the city's airport since Wednesday, and another civil aviation route is expected to open on Friday, a CCTV reporter learned from local officials.

      The city is also seeing more medical teams arriving to assist in treating the injured, and more relief supplies such as tents, food, drinking water, and medicine are pouring in and being distributed to the affected locals.

      Post-disaster relief work ongoing in Mandalay as authorities strive to restore basic services

      Post-disaster relief work ongoing in Mandalay as authorities strive to restore basic services

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