Rescue teams are working around the clock to evacuate stranded factory workers and residents across Ningming County in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where days of torrential rain have swollen the Mingjiang River, submerged roadways and cut off entire communities.
Streets, farmland and riverbanks are now submerged beneath a vast expanse of muddy water as emergency crews work to reach residents stranded for days by the rising floods.
One of the hardest-hit sites is the area's largest sugar factory, East Asia Sugar Group. Three days ago, 105 workers returned to the facility to move equipment to higher ground before the floods arrived. The water rose overnight, much faster than expected, cutting off their only way out and trapping them inside.
On Wednesday, the workers were finally on their way home. Zeng Heng, a factory employee of more than 20 years, said he had never seen flooding this severe.
"This is the worst flooding in Ningming in a decade. I didn't expect it to rise that quickly and to that high. I was worried. At around 8 a.m. today, we got word that rescue boats would arrive within an hour or two. And now that we're out, I feel safe," Zeng said.
By Wednesday, 55 workers, roughly half of those trapped at the factory, had been evacuated to safety.
The factory site has since been converted into a temporary emergency command post, from which firefighters, the Armed Police Force, the Blue Sky Rescue Team and the Eagle Rescue Team are being dispatched to cover surrounding flooded villages.
Frontline rescue personnel said disaster response is their core duty, and they will always rush to the front line when emergencies strike.
"Whether it's putting out fires, handling emergencies, or fighting floods, our job is to stand up and charge to the front line," said Zhong Shijie, deputy head of the Tianjiao Avenue Fire and Rescue Station in Tiandeng County, Chongzuo City.
As of Wednesday, 86 rescue workers operating 15 boats had pulled 85 people from 39 households to safety. Across the county, local authorities have relocated more than 22,000 residents as floods continue to threaten low-lying areas.
Stranded factory workers evacuated amid severe flooding in south China
