Dam Near China's Flooded Zhenghou City Collapses, Third In Last 48 Hours
A dam near the city of Zhengzhou in central China's Henan province has been destroyed by heavy flooding, after being seriously damaged in heavy storms that killed several people and brought the region to a halt, local media reported.
NEW - China floods: 10 videos show distressing scenes from Zhengzhou, Henan https://t.co/NB1ijVQROn
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) July 20, 2021
- Chinese army deployed to help
- At least 12 people dead
- More than 10,000 evacuated
- Yihetan dam in center of country "could collapse anytime"pic.twitter.com/leiLJEfU2r
The dam is the third to fail in recent days: over the weekend, due to severe rain, two dams in Hulun Buir City in North China's Inner Mongolia collapsed. Fortunately, however, no injuries have been reported.
Two dams in Hulun Buir City in North China’s Inner Mongolia were reported to have collapsed on Sunday because of heavy rain since Saturday. No injuries have been reported.https://t.co/jI6pUO5k6F pic.twitter.com/CLEQ6fN0L5
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) July 19, 2021
Dramatic collapse of Xinfa embankment dam in northern #China due to overtopping that happened yesterday. Note how quickly dam is washed away! This is despite the dam has a large-capacity chute-type spillway and a bottom outlet which acts as an emergency spillway. See photo below. pic.twitter.com/sQLdfTvPAw
— Dr Mohammad Heidarzadeh (@Mo_Heidarzadeh) July 19, 2021
According to Xinhua News Agency, the meteorological bureaus of Henan and Zhengzhou have raised the level of emergency response to meteorological disasters to the first level. The Chinese media report that the subway in Zhengzhou was flooded, and rescuers evacuated blocked passengers.
Subway passengers trapped in the water. pic.twitter.com/IyqmKN7WEr
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) July 20, 2021
The Chinese army warned that a stricken dam in the centre of the country "could collapse at any time" after being severely damaged in torrential storms that killed at least three people and brought the region to a standstill. Weather authorities also issued the highest warning level for central Henan province as downpours caused widespread disruption and the evacuation of residents of flooded streets.
On Tuesday evening the regional unit of the People's Liberation Army warned that the relentless downpour had caused a 20-meter breach in the Yihetan dam in Luoyang -- a city of around seven million people -- with the risk that it "may collapse at any time."
The PLA's Central Theater Command said it had sent soldiers to carry out an emergency response including blasting and flood diversion.
"On July 20, a 20-meter breach occurred at the Yihetan dam ....the riverbank was severely damaged and the dam may collapse at any time," it said in the statement according France 24.
Earlier in the day, state media also reported that the army sent about 20,000 personnel to carry out emergency work to preserve the integrity of the dams.
More than 20,000 soldiers and armed policemen are working on the dams of the Yellow River and Changzhuang Reservoir to prevent river burst. Water level is decreasing now but dam pressure remains. #Zhengzhou #Henan #floods pic.twitter.com/fjfJhWrQsM
— SHINE (@shanghaidaily) July 20, 2021
During China's rainy season, floods are a frequent occurrence, causing annual destruction and washing away highways, crops, and homes. However, the threat has grown over time, partially due to the extensive construction of dams and levees that have cut connections between rivers and lakes and altered floodplains that had helped absorb the surge.
Heavy flooding hit central China, with footage released by Chinese state TV showing the subway system in the city of Zhengzhou inundated with rushing water. https://t.co/7RsPyaWV5t pic.twitter.com/muF46shhhl
— ABC News (@ABC) July 21, 2021
Local media also reported earlier in the day that at least 12 people died in the province due to floods caused by torrential rains. Around 100,000 residents have been evacuated in the province so far. More than 6,000 military and fire service personnel are involved in rescue operations.
In the nearby city of Zhengzhou, at least one person died and two more were missing since heavy rain began battering the city, according to the state-run People's Daily, which reported that houses have collapsed. Zhengzhou Airport also canceled flights until Wednesday.
Since July 16, more than 144,660 people have been affected by torrential rains in Henan Province, with 10,152 being moved to safer areas, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters cited by Xinhua.
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