Rescue operations underway in northwest China's Gansu after flash flood

Rescue operations are in full swing in Huichuan Town, Weiyuan County of Dingxi City, northwest China's Gansu Province, where a flash flood triggered by sudden heavy rainfall on Sunday has caused casualties, with search teams having carried out four rounds of sweep operations and medical teams treating the injured.

The flash flood struck Shuangshimen Valley in Huichuan Town at around 2 p.m. on Sunday, caused by short-duration intense rain in the upstream area, leaving campers in the nearby area stranded.

Local authorities immediately mobilized rescue forces from emergency management, fire control, health and cultural tourism authorities to launch emergency rescue and personnel transfer work.

According to the Gansu Provincial Fire and Rescue Corps, a total of 305 firefighters, 68 fire trucks, and four search and rescue dogs were deployed to the scene, successfully evacuating and transferring 247 trapped individuals.

Rescue efforts faced intermittent disruptions as multiple bouts of short-duration heavy rain hit the area from Sunday afternoon into early Monday. To ensure the safety of rescue personnel, the on-site command temporarily withdrew teams to standby positions during the downpours, resuming search operations as soon as the raining stopped. At late Sunday night, rescuers started the fourth round of comprehensive search, focusing on scattered vehicles and debris left by the floodwaters.

"We are now conducting the fourth round of search and rescue. Three drones have located the sites where vehicles were scattered. We are searching for people around the vehicles and around items left behind on the water surface," said Wu Mingguo, head of the Dingxi Municipal Fire and Rescue Detachment.

Alongside the search and rescue efforts, medical treatment for the injured is proceeding in an orderly manner at local medical facilities.

Severely ill patients are being transferred to hospitals in Lanzhou, the provincial capital, for further treatment, and provincial medical expert teams will continue to advance the transfer work in accordance with the patients' will and injury conditions.

The Weiyuan County Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, the nearest Grade II Class A hospital to the disaster site, serves as the primary emergency treatment facility for the injured. As of 10 p.m. on Sunday, 23 injured people had been sent to hospitals, 22 of whom were admitted to this facility.

"Currently, our hospital has received 22 patients, mainly suffering from fractures, open injuries and aspiration pneumonia. After comprehensive assessment, four severely ill patients have been transferred to provincial-level hospitals, and the remaining 18 patients are in stable condition," said Gao Xiaodong, director of the orthopedics ward at the Weiyuan County Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.

Witnesses recalled that a sudden torrential downpour swept through the river valley when the disaster hit, carrying silt and rocks rushing down from the surrounding mountains and upstream, with some people injured by falling rocks before they could escape to safety.

Rescue operations underway in northwest China's Gansu after flash flood

Rescue operations underway in northwest China's Gansu after flash flood

A massive forest fire in southwest France's Gironde has raged for nearly a week, forcing some 220,000 residents to evacuate, with many families at shelters voicing growing anxiety and desperation to return home.

At the convention center in northern Bordeaux, the largest evacuation site, four exhibition halls have been opened since the fire broke out on July 22. At its peak, over 6,000 people spent the night there. Many still recall the panic when the evacuation order arrived.

"We were really stressed when we got the evacuation message. It was the first time this had ever happened to us," said Louise Rigaud, a young evacuee.

"It's especially hard for my mother, because she's already ill. The stress has been overwhelming for her," said Dahlia Rigaud.

The Rigaud family initially thought they would only stay for a day or two, but the fire raged on. Nearly a week later, they still had no clear answer on when they could go home.

Facing similar uncertainty, the Montessuy family from the northwestern suburbs of Bordeaux said they were particularly worried about the psychological toll on their children.

"Beyond the physical impact, there's also a psychological one. We're especially concerned about the children for this is something they've never experienced before. Being evacuated, losing so much, not knowing what comes next, we're trying to reassure them as much as we can," said Benedict Montessuy.

On Monday, the Gironde authorities reiterated that no one would be allowed to return until the fire was brought under control. The French government and the Bordeaux metropolitan area have begun arranging temporary housing, with more than 13,000 aid applications already filed. But for those in shelters, a temporary bed is no substitute for home.

"I really want to go home soon. I miss my bed, my bathroom, my cuddly toys, and my family," said young Cyrielle Montessuy.

As of Monday afternoon, the fire remained uncontrolled. For the displaced residents, the hardest part was not a temporary shelter, but the uncertainty, not knowing when they could return, nor what would be left of their homes.

Wildfire displaces 220,000 in southwest France as evacuees yearn to return home