Reopened roads to speed up search for flood victims

Roads damaged by last week's flash floods in Yuzhong county of Northwest China's Gansu province have been reopened and power supply has been restored, but rescuers continue to race against time to find more than two dozen people who were missing.

As of Sunday, 15 people were confirmed dead and 28 remained unaccounted for, according to provincial emergency authorities.

"Based on our assessment, the missing are likely buried beneath sediment. Logistical problems have until now prevented heavy equipment from reaching the hardest-hit areas. We were only able to search on foot and dig by hand," said Liu Xuefeng, deputy commander of the Gansu Forest Fire Brigade.

With arterial roads reopened on Sunday, the disaster relief command mobilized more than 100 pieces of heavy machinery, and Liu said he expected the search-and-rescue operation to be expedited.

Torrential rainfall from Thursday to Friday damaged 51 road sections in Yuzhong, covering 102.2 kilometers. Local authorities deployed more than 670 emergency personnel and around 130 machines and vehicles by 3 am on Friday to carry out urgent repairs.

By Saturday afternoon, all affected villages in the county were made accessible. Members of the emergency crew are currently focusing on keeping repaired road sections clear for delivery of relief supplies.

According to State Grid Gansu Electric Power Co, power supply for affected residents was fully restored as early as Saturday night. The company credited the quick deployment of 330 repair personnel, 73 emergency vehicles, 42 generators and three mobile power units for the success.

Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing visited Yuzhong on Friday to guide emergency response and search-and-rescue operations.

Zhang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that finding the missing people is an urgent priority. He called for more precise rainfall forecast, emphasized close monitoring of areas vulnerable to flash floods and landslides, and urged timely evacuations when needed.

As of 3 pm on Sunday, 10,160 people had been evacuated and resettled, according to the disaster relief command.

Eight township resettlement centers have been opened and 54 hotels turned into temporary shelters. Yu-zhong No 3 Middle School is housing 178 people, including 23 children, who are mainly residents of Maliantan village, located about 30 kilometers away. They are being provided with three meals a day, as well as medical services if needed.

Officials said that relief supplies at the shelter were adequate, including staples such as rice and eggs, as well as drinking water. Most relief items have been donated by members of the public.

"On the night of Aug 7, the rain was so heavy that we could not sleep. The next day, we were brought to the shelter, and we were provided with hot meals and clean bedding," said Song Juhua, 63, a resident of Ma-liantan village.

A counseling team has arrived at the shelter to provide emotional support to the 23 children and other young flood victims.

Meteorological data shows that the rainfall last week was prolonged and intense, with several stations breaking daily precipitation records set since monitoring began in 2002.

"I am 61 years old and I have never seen such heavy flooding," said Yang Zuodong, head of the Yangwa village committee.

Maliantan resident Zhang Lunkuan called the rainstorm on the night of Aug 7 terrifying. "It sounded like the sky was crashing and the earth splitting. The rain was so heavy that it was blinding."

Yuzhong county sits on the Loess Plateau, where loose soil, sparse vegetation and low soil water retention make the area particularly vulnerable to flash floods during severe downpours.

The Lanzhou Meteorological Administration has warned of moderate to heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday in southern Yuzhong, where it said saturated, loose soil could trigger landslides and hamper ongoing rescue and relief efforts.

Contact the writers at liuboqian@chinadaily.com.cn