Heavy rain disrupts rail traffic in West China

CHENGDU - Torrential rain Tuesday disrupted high-speed rail traffic between two major cities in western China.

The water level of the Qingjiang River in Guangyuan, Sichuan province, exceeded the warning level Tuesday morning after torrential rain, posing risks to the safety of a railway bridge, said China Railway Chengdu Group. Co., Ltd.

The warning forced local railway authorities to close the section of the high-speed line linking Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, with Xi'an.

Six trains running between the two cities were canceled Tuesday and another 17 trains were delayed, China Railway Chengdu Group said.

On Tuesday, Sichuan issued this year's first red alert for geological disasters in over 10 cities, districts, and counties.

The provincial authorities ordered increased patrols, monitoring, and early warnings to avoid potential losses from geological disasters.

In the 24 hours to 8 am Tuesday, 77 rain-monitoring stations in 13 counties received precipitation of over 100 mm.

The heavy rains caused water levels in several rivers to rise above warning levels and also triggered flash floods and landslides that blocked many roads in the city of Mianyang and Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture.

The Mount Emei scenic area has been partially closed to the visitors as of Tuesday as torrential rain is forecast to continue in the next few days.