BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged all-out search and rescue efforts, and flood control and disaster relief work after mountain torrents since Thursday in northwest China’s Gansu Province have left 10 people dead and 33 missing as of 3:30 pm Friday.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attached great importance to the situation of the disaster triggered by continuous heavy rainfall, which hit areas including Yuzhong County of Lanzhou, the provincial capital.
The immediate task is to search and rescue the missing people by every possible means, relocate and resettle residents in danger, minimize casualties, and restore communication and transportation as soon as possible, Xi instructed.
He noted that given the recet frequent occurrence of extreme weather, local authorities and relevant departments must strengthen risk forecasting and early warning, identify and rectify hidden hazards, reinforce emergency response and on-call duty arrangements, and enhance flood control and disaster relief work with targeted measures so as to ensure people’s safety during the flood season.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, instructed that missing and trapped individuals must be located and rescued as soon as possible, damaged communication and transport infrastructure be promptly repaired, and disaster-affected residents be swiftly relocated and resettled.
Noting that the country is still in the critical “July-August” flood prevention period, Li stressed that the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters should guide local governments to stay alert, fulfill their responsibilities, strengthen monitoring and early warning of rain and flooding, and minimize casualties to the greatest extent, Xinhua News Agency reported.
On Friday evening, Gansu Province held a press conference on the flash flood disaster in Yuzhong County, Lanzhou, to brief on the latest progress in rescue operations, the resettlement of affected residents, and the treatment of the injured. At the conference, all attendees observed a moment of silence to mourn the victims, according to CCTV News.
At the press conference, authorities reported that the heavy rainfall triggered mountain torrents that caused severe damage to infrastructure in Yuzhong County. Preliminary statistics showed that eight townships, 485 households, and 2,002 people in the affected areas have been impacted, with five of the townships hit by mountain torrents, CCTV News reported.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched a working group to guide search and rescue operations on site, while senior provincial officials in Gansu are coordinating disaster relief efforts in affected areas. Operations are underway in an orderly manner, according to Xinhua. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
