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Phoebe Zhang

Floodwater breached a reservoir in southern China and threatened others on Monday, as heavy rain pounded the region, forcing hundreds of people to flee to higher ground.
Chinese authorities urged caution and ordered rescue and evacuation operations, with Typhoon Maysak expected to bring more bad weather.
Breaches and flooding were spotted at multiple reservoirs in the city of Hengzhou and Binyang county in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, according to a statement from Guangxi’s capital, Nanning.
Officials established rescue-and-evacuation teams and warned residents to stay away from the affected regions, rivers and low-lying areas.
At about 11am on Monday, two sections of the dam at Liulan Reservoir in Hengzhou gave way.


The collapse created a 50-metre (164-foot) gap in the structure, sending a massive torrent of water rushing downstream, the China Business Network reported.
A video on social media showed a rush of muddy water engulfing fields and telephone poles. In the distance, some people on rooftops waved for help.
Another video showed a man pulled from floodwaters by a drone with a rope tied around his waist.
Media reports quoted staff at the reservoir as saying that more than 300 people in the area had moved to higher ground, with no reports of casualties.
Staff said the facility had lost power and they were struggling to re-establish communications lines.
As soon as the breach happened, reservoir managers issued an alert to downstream residents and notified city officials, it added.
According to public information, the mid-sized reservoir was completed in 1960 and can hold 95.52 million cubic metres of water (3.37 billion cubic feet). It provides irrigation for 40 villages in four townships.
Authorities in the regional capital Nanning, a city of about 9 million people, have upgraded their flood emergency response from three to one, the highest in the four-tier system.
The authorities cited “extremely heavy rain, [a] rapid rise in water level and a critical situation at one reservoir”.
Rail services have also been affected.
The China-Vietnam international passenger train T8701, departing Nanning for Gia Lam, Vietnam, on Monday, and the returning T8702 train travelling via the city of Pingxiang, were suspended, according to China Railway Nanning Group.
In addition, the ‌National Development and Reform Commission has allocated 100 million yuan (US$14.7 million) for disaster relief and rebuilding after the typhoon, especially for damaged roads, hydrological projects, schools and hospitals, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Maysak, the first typhoon to reach the Chinese mainland this year, made landfall in the southern island province of Hainan on Friday, where flights and ferry services were suspended.

On Saturday, it made a second landfall in Quang Ninh, Vietnam, which shares a border with Guangxi.
Some flights and trains had been suspended in the area, local authorities said, while boats were told to return to port before the typhoon landed.
Islands in the area were closed to tourists, and visitors and fishermen were escorted to the mainland.
On Monday morning, state broadcaster CCTV reported that the Guangxi Hydrological Centre issued an orange flood warning, the region’s second-highest alert level.
Meanwhile, Nanning escalated its flood control emergency response to the most severe level following the reservoir breach, with authorities warning that local rivers could peak 1-2 metres above danger thresholds, CCTV added.
According to local media reports, many homes were flooded, with water submerging parked cars up to their roofs.
“We lost power around 10pm and water just rose. Within two hours it reached 1.2 metres,” a resident in the city of Dongxing told Jimu News. “Because it was so dark, we weren’t about to move and save our things.”
Relief work teams had been sent to the affected areas to assess ground damage and help guide local authorities with disaster assistance, including ensuring basic living needs for those affected, CCTV reported.
The typhoon weakened after moving north, but remnants of the storm would continue to affect Guangxi, as well as Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces with heavy rain, the state broadcaster said.
The National Meteorological Centre (NMC) issued a warning on Monday afternoon, forecasting widespread rainfall of 10 to 40mm (up to 1.5 inches), with heavy downpours potentially exceeding 70 to 100mm in some regions.
Severe weather – including hail, thunder and strong winds – was expected locally.
The NMC stressed the need for improved monitoring to prevent urban flooding and mountain torrents, urging the public to stay away from valleys, rivers and hilly areas.


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Breaches and flooding were spotted at multiple reservoirs in the city of Hengzhou and Binyang county in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Photo: Handout

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Authorities issue top flood alert, order rescue and evacuation, with more bad weather expected


Authorities issue top flood alert, order rescue and evacuation, with more bad weather expected.


China dam collapses, cross-border railway halted as Typhoon Maysak slams Guangxi

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Authorities issue top flood alert, order rescue and evacuation, with more bad weather expected

Authorities issue top flood alert, order rescue and evacuation, with more bad weather expected