Local authorities in several heavy-rain-hit regions of southwest China's Guizhou Province swiftly deployed cargo drones to airdrop essential supplies to affected areas and evacuated trapped residents from Sunday to Tuesday.
Persistent heavy rains caused rising water levels in a river in a sub-district of Kaili City. The only bridge connecting a village to the outside world was submerged by floodwaters, isolating 376 residents from 93 households.
To help those trapped who faced shortages of daily necessities, large cargo drones were mobilized to precisely airdrop essential supplies, including rice, pork, eggs, and noodles, to designated drop-off points within the village on Sunday morning.
Local officials said a second batch of supplies was being prepared as the villagers were still trapped as the water was declining slowly.
"The first batch that just finished was aimed at addressing the immediate needs of the people based on our current assessment, and preparations for the second batch of supply purchases are actively underway," said Zhang Xiaosong, deputy head of the sub-district office.
From 20:00 on Monday to 8:00 on Tuesday, Sandu Shui Autonomous County experienced continuous heavy rains, with the maximum precipitation reaching 166.6 millimeters, resulting in hazardous situations in multiple areas. The local authorities swiftly evacuated and resettled 502 households, totaling 1441 people.
In response to potential landslides in several sub-districts, firefighters deployed inflatable boats to evacuate trapped residents to safety. Additionally, officials and residents coordinated the relocation of teachers and children from a kindergarten to a temporary shelter while arranging for personnel to be on duty.
The traffic police department implemented dynamic traffic controls on hazardous road sections. Rescue teams navigated through flooded areas for search and rescue operations, ultimately successfully rescuing submerged vehicles.
Also in the county, on Tuesday morning, the approach bridge of a major mountain-crossing bridge on the Xiamen-Chengdu Expressway collapsed due to a landslide caused by continuous heavy rains.
Local authorities reported no casualties due to the accident.
A freight truck was on the bridge when the landslide occurred, but people aboard were all rescued without any injuries.
The emergency, public security, and transportation departments have swiftly arrived at the scene to coordinate rescue efforts and develop alternative routes.
Rain-battered Guizhou airdrops supplies via drones, evacuates trapped residents
U.S. stocks ended lower on Friday, pulling back from record highs set a day earlier, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new 35 percent tariff on goods imported from Canada and warned of even broader tariff hikes.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 279.13 points, or 0.63 percent, to 44,371.51. The Standard and Poor's 500 sank 20.71 points, or 0.33 percent, to 6,259.75. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 45.14 points, or 0.22 percent, to 20,585.53.
Nine of the 11 primary Standard and Poor's 500 sectors ended in red, with financials and health leading the laggards by losing 1.00 percent and 0.88 percent, respectively. Energy and consumer discretionary led the gainers by going up 0.48 percent and 0.33 percent, respectively.
Trump justified the higher duties on Canada by citing fentanyl concerns and warned the tariffs could go even higher if Canada retaliates.
In an interview with NBC News, the president said he is considering blanket tariffs of 15 percent to 20 percent on all remaining U.S. trading partners, which is significantly above the 10 percent level investors had largely come to expect.
Markets are also watching for further trade developments, particularly with the European Union. While traders anticipate an update from Trump on EU negotiations, it is unclear whether he will impose new tariffs, as he did with Canada, or simply signal progress in ongoing deal talks.
The tech sector, which has helped propel the market to recent highs, was mixed on Friday.
Nvidia shares rose 0.5 percent, extending gains after the artificial intelligence chipmaker became the first company ever to close with a market cap above 4 trillion U.S. dollars.
Amazon added more than 1 percent as its Prime Day sales event wrapped up, while Tesla and Alphabet also climbed more than 1 percent.
Microsoft ticked higher, while Apple and Broadcom edged lower.
Meta Platforms fell 1.34 percent on Friday, one day after reports surfaced that the company had offered a compensation package exceeding 200 million dollars in an attempt to lure away Apple's top executive overseeing artificial intelligence models.
Bond markets reacted to the tariff developments as well, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rising to 4.42 percent from 4.35 percent at Thursday's close, reflecting increased uncertainty about inflation and interest rate policy.
Looking ahead, investors will turn their attention to next week's start of the second-quarter earnings season and key inflation data releases, both of which could shape the Federal Reserve's next moves.
U.S. stocks close lower to end week
