Emergency repair is progressing smoothly on a river embankment breached on Tuesday due to rising water levels from continuous heavy rains in northeast China's Liaoning Province, authorities said.
The breach, about 18.6 meters wide and 5.2 meters deep, was found at 04:40 at a spot of the right embankment of the Wanghe River, a tributary of the Liaohe River, near Fanjia Wopeng Village in the city of Tieling, where rainfall in the flood season this year is 2.4 times that in previous years, according to the relevant department of the city.
The local authorities immediately mobilized forces to the affected area to search and rescue residents, reinforce the dike and seal the breach.
As of 11:00, professional rescuers from China Anneng Group had arrived at the site and joined local firefighters and police officers in the rescue and relief.
A total of 395 residents from 190 households at risk from the breach have been evacuated, with no casualties reported. Nearly 100 hectares of farmland were flooded because of the breach.
As of 18:00 Tuesday, 280 cubic meters of boulders and other materials had been filled in the breach, advancing the repair by five meters.
A working group dispatched by the Ministry of Water Resources is currently assisting and guiding the emergency repair on site. The ministry has also dispatched a hydrological team to monitor the breach.
Repair on flood-breached river dike progressing in Liaoning
Many Singaporeans support raising the re-employment age, partly to stay busy and active in retirement, and to help address demographic challenges in the workforce.
Like many other Asian countries, Singapore is grappling with a rapidly aging population. The government predicts that by 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 or older, up from one in 10 two decades ago.
A survey on retirement and employment conducted last year in the country found broad support for raising the national retirement age, with about 88 percent of those aged 50 and above in favor.
Some supported increasing the retirement age because continuing to do what they love, rather than retiring, keeps them feeling youthful and fulfilled.
When Nancy Hor, a retired IT operations manager, left her job five years ago, she wasn't sure how to fill her time.
"I'm a workaholic. At the very first stage after I retired, I felt I could not find balance," she said.
Hor, now 70, said it took her some time to adjust. In her spare time, she stays busy line dancing and spending time with her family.
But she said that if she had had the choice, she would have liked to stay employed a little longer.
"I think it's good for the elderly that even they have some job to do, and keep them busy," said Hor.
In March, authorities announced plans to raise the retirement age to 64 and the re-employment age to 69 by 2026.
Singapore's Minister of State for Manpower, Gan Siow Huang, said the changes to the rules protect senior workers from dismissal due to age-related issues before they reach the statutory retirement age. Employers are also required to offer re-employment to eligible workers until they reach the statutory re-employment age limit.
This follows a similar move made two years ago to raise the retirement and re-employment ages to 63 and 68, respectively. The city-state is also aiming for a retirement age of 65 and a re-employment age of 70 by 2030.
"That is to reduce the impact on businesses, so it gives time for businesses to adapt their policy. This gradual increase in retirement age basically provides a framework for individuals like myself, who want to continue to be gainfully employed," said Patrick Chang, a retirement planning specialist and the author of the A to Z guide to retirement planning.
Chang said that businesses will need to make adjustments to accommodate the changes, including offering retraining for senior workers.
He noted that the changes won't impact those who still wish to retire earlier, but given Singapore's demographic challenges, the country cannot afford to remain idle.
"If we don't do it now, the social cost could be high. We cannot wait until the time when we need it today, and then we get something done. It will probably be a bit too late, and the cost of getting to that solution will be higher," said Chang.
Many Singaporeans support raising retirement, re-employment ages
