More than 2,600 students and teachers stranded in flood at a school in Guigang City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, were delivered to safety on Wednesday.
Persistent heavy rains for days and rising water levels in rivers incurred flooding at multiple locations in Guigang, and logging water has receded rather slowly.
Upon learning that teachers and students at Dajiang International School in Gangbei District of Guigang were stranded in flood on Wednesday, rescue teams rushed to the site with a targeted rescue plan.
The accumulated water surrounding the school was rather deep, and the underwater conditions were complex due to the inundated rails and other obstacles, which made navigating the makeshift "waterways" difficult. Rescuers were orderly divided by boats and entered the inundated school campus along routes pre-surveyed and planned.
Some firefighters were designated as safety officers who stood up in water at key points to direct and guide the boats.
"Throughout the water rescue, our boats must navigate following clear standards. When entering and exiting the rescue site, we must maintain a specific order of navigation, or there may rise safety risks," said Xiong Wei, deputy director of the Special Disaster Rescue Department of the National Fire and Rescue Administration.
After several hours of efforts, more than 2,180 students and 500 faculty members were safely delivered to safety.
2,600 stranded students, teachers evacuated in flood-hit Guangxi
