Lessons from China’s deadly floods yet to be learned, say angry, grieving villagers
Local officials in Hebei accused of failing to issue timely alerts and turning blind eye to illegal construction projects
Devastated survivors of deadly floods in the cities of Xingtai and Handan last month are losing patience with the local authorities, saying they show little appetite to address their grievances or heed the lessons that should be learned.
While officials insist the flash floods that claimed at least 130 lives in Hebei – leaving 110 others officially listed as missing – were largely natural disasters caused by unprecedented heavy downpours, local residents say the deadliest floods to hit the province in decades were calamities that had been years in the making, exacerbated by a string of human errors.
I really don’t understand why the authorities have turned a blind eye to our safety concerns
Villagers say local officials not only failed to issue timely alerts about the extreme weather and the subsequent disaster, but also ignored grave warnings about flood risks for years and knowingly allowed illegal construction projects to occupy usually parched river beds and waterways.
They are particularly bitter that the authorities, who initially denied the heavy death toll until hundreds of villagers blocked a main road in an angry protest, appeared to have wasted no time in claiming victory in their handling of the disaster.
In Xingtai, where 47 people were killed or remain listed as missing, official media bragged about the government-led efforts to repair damaged roads, restore power and water supplies and eliminate future flood risks.
