A dam collapse in China’s Hunan province has forced the evacuation of about 6,000 people as authorities race to contain the flooding, state media reported Saturday.
According to state news agency Xinhua, water in Dongting Lake, China’s second-largest freshwater lake, burst on Friday afternoon.
How bad was the violation?
The 226-metre (740-foot) bridge collapsed, forcing authorities to evacuate around 5,700 residents. There were no reports of injuries as of early Saturday morning.
Video showed water spilling out of cracks, overturning trucks and flooding homes.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched more than 800 personnel, about 150 vehicles and dozens of boats to help repair the breach and assist with flood relief efforts, Xinhua said.
More than 2,300 rescue workers were working to establish a second line of defense against the floodwaters.
President Xi Jinping calls for ‘all-round’ relief
All roads in and out of Hunan province’s Huarong county have been partially closed due to “flood prevention needs,” authorities said on Saturday.
“During the control period, all vehicles other than those helping with flood prevention will be prohibited from passing through,” the center said in a statement on social media platform Weibo.
Approximately 500,000 people live in this area.
President Xi Jinping called for “all-out” rescue and relief efforts to protect people’s lives and property, Xinhua reported.
The central government has allocated a further 540 million yuan ($74 million, 68.18 million euros) in relief funds for Hunan and other affected areas, CCTV reported.
China faces extreme weather
China has experienced an extreme summer, with widespread flooding in the central and southern parts of the country and severe heat waves in the north.
Heavy rains earlier this week caused water levels in the Yuluo River in Pingjiang county to reach their highest level in 70 years, forcing local authorities to raise the emergency response level to the maximum.
Last month, devastating floods and landslides hit mountainous areas of Hunan province, while heavy flooding in southern Guangdong province killed 38 people.
ss/rc (Reuters, AFP)
