Rescuers evacuated more stranded residents in a flood-hit village in north China's Hebei Province on Wednesday, while repairing all damaged bridges to facilitate delivery of relief goods.
Xigou Village in Luanping County, Chengde City was one of the hardest-hit areas in Hebei Province by heavy rains-incurred flooding in the week.
On Wednesday morning, rescuers set up a safety rope across a river to evacuate stranded villagers. Rescuers guided them to slowly cross the river by holding the rope, while soldiers carried the elderly on their backs.
"We were hit by the flood disaster, but the People's Liberation Army soldiers and militia carried us on their backs or supported us arm-in-arm to escort us to cross the river safely," said Hao Junhong, a villager.
The evacuated villagers were resettled to shelter at a local kindergarten, where they were provided with clean bedding and ample food. Medical workers offered them 24-hour care.
"First, we conducted a basic physical checkup on them, measuring their blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. Then we checked for underlying diseases. Third, we'd provide early psychological interventions for individuals with psychological disorders," said Li Zhonghai, director of the emergency department of Luanping County Hospital.
The 93-year-old Miao Zengrui was the oldest among the evacuated villagers, with rescuers carrying him on their backs all the way to safety.
"They kept carrying me on their backs all the time. I was deeply moved," Miao said.
"The elderly and children have been properly settled, and I feel completely at ease," said Li Yanxue, an evacuated villager.
"While at home, I was a bit scared. But once I got here, I felt at ease. The care here has been consistent, with good food and drink provided all along," said Hu Qifa, another evacuated villager.
Late on Wednesday evening, the fourth bridge to Xigou Village, which had been damaged by floods, was repaired. Now all the four bridges linking the village to the surrounding areas have been restored and resumed traffic.
Currently, four teams of technical specialists from the provincial transportation department have been dispatched to key areas for emergency repairs, offering technical guidance on making reconstruction plans, and effectively carrying out the restoration and maintenance of the water-damaged roads.
"So far 406 sections of the provincial highways have resumed traffic, with 1,385 collapses and 1,152 mudflow sites cleared. Moving forward, we will fully mobilize our emergency rescue reserves with increased manpower and equipment input to provide support wherever there is a need, going all out to restore blocked road sections at the fastest possible speed," said Lyu Huizhe, an official of the provincial transportation department.
Rescuers evacuate flood-hit Hebei villagers
