China intensifies flood relief, reconstruction efforts after rainstorms

Local authorities across China have intensified flood response efforts, restoring infrastructure and accelerating post-disaster reconstruction in flood-stricken regions in northern China while mitigating further risks from persistent downpours that continue to impact eastern provinces.

Persistent heavy rainfall recently has battered eastern, northern and northeastern China, triggering floods and geological disasters that have resulted in significant casualties and property damage.

From July 23 to 29, Beijing experienced persistent extreme rainstorms, with mountainous areas in northern suburban districts of Miyun, Huairou, Yanqing and Pinggu being among the hardest hit.

The latest flooding in Beijing has affected more than 300,000 residents and damaged about 24,000 houses.

Some residents began returning to their villages on Friday, while 13,300 people remain housed in 190 temporary shelters in the Chinese capital.

Recovery efforts have made progress, with a total of 312 kilometers of flood-damaged roads being reopened to traffic. Water supply has been restored to 31 of the 179 affected administrative villages, while electricity has been restored to 80 percent of the villages that experienced power outages due to the torrential rains.

Heavy rainfall also affected Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province, which are adjacent to Beijing.

Days of downpours wreaked havoc on some villages in Liudaohe Town in Hebei's Chengdu City.

With rescue and relief operations going on, roads to previously isolated villages in the town had been fully reopened by Friday. Hebei provincial government has deployed excavators and bulldozers from Tangshan, Qinhuangdao, Shijiazhuang and other cities in the province to speed up repairs on bridges and roads destroyed by floods.

So far, 819 sections of highways in Chengde, Baoding, and Zhangjiakou cities have been restored.

The National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief upgraded the emergency response for flood-hit Hebei to Level III on Thursday, dispatching a task force to assist in local relief efforts.

Tianjin has launched inspections and repairs on 15 rivers and dams in Jizhou District, while mobilizing volunteers to clear mud and disinfect heavily affected villages.

Co-May, the eighth typhoon of this year, made landfall for the second time in Shanghai on Wednesday afternoon after it made landfall in the eastern province of Zhejiang early on Wednesday morning, according to the Shanghai central meteorological observatory.

Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces have taken actions to step up hazard inspection and disaster prevention efforts while evacuating residents from dangerous places.

Widespread rainfall swept areas across east China's Anhui Province on Friday.

Local maritime authorities have increased patrols to monitor key waterways. Cities such as Xuancheng and Tongling have prioritized inspections of flood-prone zones, reservoirs, and landslide risks, evacuating residents in advance.

"We will closely monitor rainfall and flood conditions, carry out inspections and remediation work on key areas such as reservoirs, rivers, and geological hazard sites, to safeguard people's lives and property," said Huang Daning, a staff member with the Yi'an District Emergency Management Bureau of Tongling City.

China intensifies flood relief, reconstruction efforts after rainstorms

The three astronauts of China's recently-returned Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared the experiences of their dramatic 204-day space mission, including detailing the emergency procedures which were implemented to bring them safely home after their return capsule was struck by space debris.

The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met with the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance since returning to Earth in November.

When detailing the emergency response mechanisms which were enacted prior to their scheduled return, the astronauts explained that upon discovering a triangular crack on the spacecraft's viewport window, they immediately took photos for documentation and transmitted them to the ground team, who swiftly activated an emergency plan to get the trio home safely.

Experienced mission commander Chen Dong explained how the crew had complete faith in their colleagues on the ground to find a solution to these unforeseen circumstances which led to their return being delayed.

"First, we must trust the ground team, who would anticipate everything and develop the safest return plan for us. Second, we must believe in ourselves; as well-trained astronauts, we have the ability to manage various unexpected failures. I believe that with the collaboration of astronauts and researchers on the ground, our space home will surely go farther, more steadily, and for a longer time," he said.

Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.

During their mission, they completed multiple payload operations, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and carried out four extravehicular activities.

"Our crew worked together with the ground team in unity and coordination, completing four extravehicular activities, several payload entry and exit tasks, and a large number of scientific experiments. It was a fulfilling yet challenging mission. The path to exploring the heavens is long and arduous, but I firmly believe that China's space missions will succeed," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who was making his first spaceflight during the mission.

"From the ground to space, from learning to application, I have deeply felt the solid progress of Chinese space endeavors and the quiet dedication of countless personnel behind the scenes. In the future, I will accomplish each mission with full commitment, living up to the trust of the motherland and the people," said fellow astronaut Wang Jie, who was also making his debut spaceflight.

After returning to Earth on Nov 14, the trio successfully completed their isolation recovery and rehabilitation and will now resume normal training following health assessments.

The crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to safety concerns, with the astronauts later using the return capsule belonging to their successor crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission to get back to Earth. China later launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft which will serve the future return of the crew now aboard the Tiangong Space Station.

Shenzhou-20 astronauts share experiences after safely returning from debris incident