South China’s Guilin city hit by worst floods since 1998 devastation
- 69 people have been rescued by boat while others remain trapped in their homes reliant on emergency supplies
Authorities in Guilin issued a level-1 flood emergency alert on Wednesday morning. By that evening, water levels at the city’s section of the Li River had risen to 148.55 metres (487ft) – 2.55 metres beyond the alert level, and just over the 1998 peak of 148.4 metres, state broadcaster CCTV said.
The devastating floods of 1998 lasted two months and wreaked havoc on 24 provinces. A total of 3,004 people were killed and another 220 million were affected, with countless homes destroyed.
According to CCTV, multiple parts of Guilin, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, are affected by the latest rains. So far, 69 residents have been rescued from their homes by boat, while others remain trapped.
Local authorities had sent food and emergency materials to those still in their homes and confirmed that they were temporarily out of danger, CCTV reported.
Schools and buses have been suspended and some tourist spots closed. Local traffic police said on Wednesday that multiple roads were flooded and one expressway had partially collapsed. Traffic control is in operation and repairs could take three months.
Rail passengers were advised to use Guilin North station, after the main Guilin station’s public square was flooded. On Thursday, Guilin station said on social media platform Weibo that some trains were suspended while others would be running late.