Fujian Putian has entered into post-disaster reconstruction on September 6, but many dangerous buildings have experienced secondary collapses, posing significant risks. Several areas are still facing water and power outages, with local residents appealing online for rescue materials, debris clearance, and relocation. The official casualties and missing persons numbers from this round of flooding have not been disclosed yet, but videos of bodies floating have quietly circulated online.
Affected by the typhoon “Shadel” making landfall again, Putian City and various townships and villages have suffered severe flooding. Although the rain has stopped and the sky has cleared now, many old houses, soaked in water, are starting to collapse one by one. Local residents revealed online that houses are collapsing around them, making it impossible to sleep at night out of fear.
On September 6, according to mainland media ‘Xiaoxiang Morning News’, in Houdun Village of Xizhu Village in Gongchen Street, Licheng District, Putian City, a dangerous building collapsed for the second time, and the rising dust at the scene made the reporter cough uncontrollably. He repeatedly expressed how dangerous it was, and the only thing the on-site workers could do was to cordon off the area.
The reporter also revealed that a similar incident happened at a site he visited yesterday. He reminded the public to stay away from dangerous buildings.
Online videos show Xianggao Village in Huating Town, Chengxi District, Putian City, in complete chaos, with houses collapsed into ruins everywhere, roads covered in thick mud, along with a large amount of debris. Xianggao Village is still experiencing water and power outages.
The official rescue actions in Putian after the disaster have been slow, leading the public to continuously appeal for help online apart from self-rescue efforts.
A villager from Zhudun Village near Mulanxi Bridge in Putian requested help online, stating that the area is without water and electricity, with more than 100 households including many elderly and children needing assistance.
The village cadre of Shanpai Village in Huating Town, Chengxi District, Putian, made an online plea for help, stating that over 1,500 affected residents are still without water and electricity and urgently need support from various sectors of society.
Local villagers reposting the village committee’s notices mainly highlighted the shortage of clean water and dry rations, as the residents are going hungry.
Some online users lamented, “Oh my! I’m seeing a scene of ancient rice porridge distribution happening in 2026. Hope the country quickly provides assistance, as these people have already lost their homes and should not go hungry.”
A villager from Xihong Village in Huangshi Town, Licheng District, Putian, disclosed online that after the heavy flooding on September 4, over 20 households’ old houses collapsed in the village, leading to burnt power lines and power outages, as well as burst water pipes.
The villager mentioned that the residents are mostly elderly and children. Currently, their family has had to seek help from neighbors, but the surrounding neighborhood is also without water and electricity.
“Requesting the dispatch of rescue teams by higher authorities to help clear the collapsed houses and debris, as all residents are elderly and lack the ability to take action to clean up. The village cadres are limited in number and can’t provide much help. Hoping that after the cleanup, the power and water lines can be repaired, allowing the entire area to have access to electricity and water.”
Several villages in Baitang Town have been flooded, with houses submerged, roads blocked, and water depths in some low-lying areas reaching up to people’s necks.
A villager from Baitang Town appealed online, stating that media reports and rescue efforts are mainly focused on Gongchen Street and Huating Town, while the severe situation in other villages like Juekui Village, Daicheng Village, and Yangwei Village in Baitang Town is being neglected. Many old houses have collapsed, leaving many people homeless, and he hopes the city will pay attention to them.
He also suggested deploying drones to the area, “Are there any drones to capture the current situation in these villages?”
A villager from Nancheng Village in Baitang Town mentioned, “All the old houses have collapsed, and people are trapped inside unable to get out.”
A civilian rescuer shared, “On the 4th night, we rescued many people from inside, and we only withdrew at 4 o’clock on the 5th morning, fighting continuously, and we were extremely exhausted. Some of my partners almost got into a car accident on their way back at night.”
During this heavy rain, the Fujian Provincial Water Resources Department initiated the so-called “thousand reservoirs linkage” to dynamically dispatch reservoirs, with 58 out of 121 reservoirs in Xianyou County, Putian, overflowing. When interviewed by Da Ji Yuan, villagers from different villages pointed out discrepancies in the notifications about upstream reservoir discharge. Some received notices in the village, while others claimed there were no notifications at all. Not only were the official notifications about reservoir discharge inadequate, but there was also a landslide in the West Lake section of the Mulanxi flood control project, and the public was left uninformed.
For further reading:
Fujian Putian downpour causes reservoir discharge, flood control levee collapse, and a large number of house collapses.