Servicemen of the People's Armed Police Force evacuate residents trapped by flood in Chongren County, Fuzhou City, east China's Jiangxi Province, May 6, 2023. /CFP
Rescue efforts have been underway since Wednesday in east China's Jiangxi Province after torrential rains triggered floods, affecting 497,000 people across seven regions, according to the provincial emergency management department.
From Friday until 4:00 pm on Sunday, 14,000 people were evacuated from cities, including Fuzhou, Ji'an, and Yichun.
On Saturday, China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters dispatched a work team to the province to guide rescue and relief efforts after activating a level-IV emergency response for flood control.
Multiple rescue forces, including servicemen from the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force, members of the militia, and retired military personnel, were dispatched to carry out rescue operations.
A rescue team evacuating residents trapped by flood in Yichun City, east China's Jiangxi Province, May 5, 2023. /CFP
Local rescue teams were also assembled to provide emergency aid.
Due to heavy rains, villages in some mountainous areas of Xingan County in Ji'an City were flooded, leaving people trapped. Floodwaters and rain-triggered landslides also damaged crops, houses, and disrupted traffic.
Firefighters were deployed to the flood-hit region, where they distributed drinking water, bread, and other basic supplies to villagers. They also transferred the elderly to safe locations via rubber boats.
A rescue team of firefighters evacuate residents trapped by flood in a village in Ji'an City, east China's Jiangxi Province, May 6, 2023. /CFP
Several towns in Fuzhou City saw over 250 millimeters of rainfall in 24 hours from Friday evening, leaving streets and farmland flooded.
The local government organized firefighters, the emergency department, civilian rescue forces, and township cadres to carry out rescue operations. As of Saturday morning, they had evacuated 352 residents and rescued 14 trapped individuals in a town.
As of Sunday afternoon, local authorities reported that about 67,700 hectares (over 1 million mu) of crops were damaged, and direct economic losses exceeded 520 million yuan (around $75 million).
