Authorities are deploying drones to ferry essential emergency supplies to stranded villagers in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region after a spate of severe flooding destroyed infrastructure and cut off road access to several rural areas.
It came after the Liulan Reservoir, a medium-sized water conservancy facility in the county-level city of Hengzhou under the jurisdiction of Nanning City, reported a major dam breach on Monday morning. In response, the local emergency management, fire and rescue, and water resources department have been mobilized to carry out rescue and relief operations.
One of the worst affected areas is Yunbiao Town, located downstream from the reservoir. By Wednesday afternoon, floodwaters were gradually receding, allowing emergency crews to begin repairing damaged roads and organizing the relocation of affected residents. Some roads in the town have slowly reopened to traffic.
With a large-scale relief operation underway, supplies of essentials such as bread and drinking water were seen lined up along the roadside, ready for distribution. Teams of professional drone operators, together with volunteers from across the region, have arrived to assist, using specialized drones to deliver the much-needed daily necessities directly to villagers still cut off by the disaster by the air.
In the Dutian Village, the hardest-hit area downstream of the reservoir, residents reported floodwaters rising over three meters, submerging entire structures. The powerful current also swept away a bridge connecting parts of the village. With road and foot traffic impossible, a fleet of five drones have been flying supplies non-stop across the divide.
The severe flooding has left villages without power and clean water. Restoration efforts are ongoing, but infrastructure damage remains severe, with many roads undercut and large sections of the power grid destroyed. Inspectors arrived to begin power assessments, though Dutian Village was still without electricity on Tuesday.
More downstream villages have seen electricity supplies partially restored after repair crews raised fallen poles and rebuilt main lines. However, many homes require further safety inspections with concerns over the potential hazards posed by waterlogged meters and household appliances. Local officials said a second round of checks is underway to prevent further disasters occurring.
Heavy rainfall on Sunday night caused a section of the National Highway 242 -- a crucial route connecting to southern Qinzhou City -- to collapse, sending two vehicles into a culvert. All four people inside the vehicles escaped unharmed. Authorities quickly closed the affected road for emergency repairs.
Although rains subsided on Tuesday, the damaged sections of the highway leading to several villages remained impassable, prompting local officials to turn to drones to send urgent supplies to these affected communities.
Drones help deliver essential supplies to cut-off villages in south China's flood-hit Guangxi
