Agency. Floods in southwest China have displaced more than 80,000 people. State media reported on Wednesday that a truck driver had to be dramatically rescued from a collapsed bridge.
China is facing an extreme heat wave. A heat wave is sweltering across much of the country, while torrential rains have battered other areas. Some 80,900 people had been evacuated in southwestern Guizhou province as of Tuesday afternoon, state news agency Xinhua said. A football field in Rongjiang county was “submerged under three meters of water,” the news agency said. Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed villages submerged and a bridge collapsed in a mountainous area of the province.
Rescuers were pushing boats carrying residents through muddy, knee-deep water, and children were waiting at a child development center as emergency workers approached. “The water rose very quickly,” said resident Long Tian. “I sat on the third floor waiting for rescue. I was moved to a safe place by noon.” Drones were also used to deliver supplies, including rice, to flood victims. In a video broadcast by local media, truck driver Yu Guochun described the terrifying rescue after being trapped on the edge of a collapsed bridge section.
“A bridge in front of me completely collapsed,” he said. “I was very scared.” The floods have also affected neighboring Guangxi region. State media has published videos of rescuers carrying residents to safety. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated in central China’s Hunan province last week due to heavy rains. About 70,000 people were displaced in southern China just days after heavy flooding caused by Typhoon Wutip.
Chinese authorities last week issued the first red alert of the year for mountain floods in six regions. A red alert is the most severe warning level in the country’s four-tier system. Local governments have urged residents to issue timely warnings, saying some areas in the affected areas are “likely to be severely affected,” Xinhua reported.
Scientists say climate change, fueled by greenhouse gas emissions, is making such extreme weather events more frequent and more intense. Beijing authorities issued a second high heat warning for the capital this week on the hottest day of the year so far.
Last year was the hottest on record in China, and the past four years have been the hottest ever. China is the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter but also a powerhouse of renewable energy. China aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2060.
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