On October 1st, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was celebrating the 76th anniversary of its seizure of power, the people of Guangxi were suffering from floods. Due to the impact of Typhoon “Boloi” and its remaining circulation, 22 rivers in Guangxi experienced floods exceeding the warning level. Places like Baise were ravaged by floods, but official reports did not mention the extent of the disaster. Local residents took to the internet to post videos questioning why the CCP authorities were not giving more attention to the situation.
Videos circulating online showed severe flooding in many parts of Guangxi, with water reaching up to the third floor, causing dire conditions for the affected residents.
According to a report from Xinhua, the Guangxi Autonomous Region Hydrological Center stated on October 2 that from 8:00 on October 1 to 8:00 on October 2, based on monitoring by the hydrological department, moderate to heavy rain occurred in parts of Baise, Chongzuo, Wuzhou, and Hechi, with the highest daily rainfall recorded in towns such as Malin in Xilin County, Baise, with 36.0 millimeters, and Shanglong in Longzhou County, Chongzuo, with 27.0 millimeters.
A total of 32 hydrological stations on 22 rivers including the Zuojiang, Youjiang, and Yu rivers in Guangxi experienced floodwaters exceeding the warning level by 0.03 to 4.92 meters, with the largest excess recorded in the section of Dongluo Town in Fusui County, Chongzuo City.
As of 8:00 on the 2nd, 14 rivers with 20 hydrological stations in Guangxi remained above the warning level by 0.03 to 4.92 meters. The water level reached 106.09 meters, exceeding the warning level by 4.89 meters at the Chongzuo hydrological station on the Youjiang River; 88.27 meters, exceeding by 3.27 meters at the Long’an hydrological station on the Youjiang River; and 74.48 meters, exceeding by 1.48 meters at the Nanning hydrological station on the Yu River.
The Guangxi Hydrological Center forecasted that over the next 24 hours, water levels would continue to rise by approximately 0.3 meters in the Long’an section of the Youjiang River and the urban area of Chongzuo on the Zuojiang River, and by 1 to 2 meters in the Fusui section of the Zuojiang River and the Yu River.
However, the official reports did not mention the extent of the local disaster. Other official media outlets only published information about the floodwaters exceeding the warning level and specific official rescue operations.
On October 1st, some internet users on Weibo called for attention to the flooding in Baise, Guangxi. They questioned why the flooding in Baise was not a hot trending topic.
On the previous day, the Cailian News Agency quoted the Guangxi Hydrological Center as saying that from 8:00 on September 30 to 8:00 on October 1, based on monitoring by the hydrological department, there was heavy to torrential rainfall in parts of Baise, Hechi, and other cities, causing severe flooding. The heavy rainfall led to 26 rivers and 33 stations, including tributaries of the Youjiang and Zuojiang rivers, exceeding the warning level by 0.02 to 4.15 meters.
As of 8:00 on October 1, the entire Zuojiang River exceeded the warning level. In Guangxi, a total of 19 rivers, including tributaries of the Youjiang and Zuojiang rivers such as the Koukou River, Heishui River, and Ming River, and 24 stations exceeded the warning level by 0.08 to 4.15 meters, with the highest excess recorded in the Longzhou County urban section of the Zuojiang River. The water level at the Chongzuo hydrological station on the Zuojiang River was 103.87 meters, exceeding by 2.67 meters, with a flow rate of 8450 cubic meters per second. The water level at the Nanning hydrological station on the Yu River was 71.76 meters (warning level 73.0 meters), with a flow rate of 8960 cubic meters per second. At that time, the Guangxi Hydrological Center predicted that over the next 24 hours, the water levels of the main stream and tributaries of the Zuojiang River, the main stream of the Youjiang River, and the main stream of the Yu River would continue to rise by 0.5 to 3 meters.
On September 30, a local media outlet in Baise, Guangxi, reported that at 5:30 on the 29th, the fire department of Debao County received a report that a group of people in Nazao Village, Chengguan Town, were trapped. It was found that a landslide had occurred in the area, trapping 13 people, and multiple road collapses prevented vehicles and machinery from passing through.
The official statement mentioned that the 13 individuals had been rescued and urged the public not to believe or spread rumors.