In the early morning of July 20th, a village in the jurisdiction of Ya’an City, Sichuan Province, was hit by a flash flood caused by heavy rain, leading to the interruption of roads and bridges and the disappearance of over 30 people. By 8 pm that evening, 8 bodies had been found, with the identities of 5 of the victims confirmed.
Around 2:30 am on July 20th, a flash flood triggered by heavy rain swept through Xinhua Village in Malie Township, Hanyuan County, Ya’an City, Sichuan Province. The rushing flood waters demolished houses along the riverbank, sweeping away some villagers who were still asleep. Authorities reported that preliminary investigations revealed over 30 people missing and more than 40 houses damaged.
“Waters suddenly surged up in the evening, washing away houses by the riverside,” said Wang Fuchao to The Paper. He later learned that the water level during the flash flood “could have been several meters high,” with over thirty villagers missing.
“There are both elderly and children, and the exact number of missing people has not been determined yet. They are still being searched for,” Wang Fuchao introduced on the evening of July 20th. He described how many villagers were caught sleeping when the flash flood occurred, leaving them no time to escape.
“After the flash flood, debris flow rushed out and traveled several kilometers,” said Zhang Chungui, a villager from Xinhua Village. His old family house was washed away by the flood, and his aunt, cousins, and cousins’ spouses are among the seven relatives missing in the flood.
Many netizens expressed hope that those swept away by the flood could return safely.
One netizen commented that a whole family of his classmate, along with their house, was washed away, which is indeed tragic.
Many netizens from Sichuan mentioned that at the time of the incident, everyone was still fast asleep. The sudden occurrence of such an accident is distressing, and the situation is far from optimistic. For those missing, it is undeniably a tragedy.
Other netizens pointed out that media reports often used to mention droughts in Ya’an, but now heavy rain has caused flash floods, leaving people quite anxious. Many netizens expressed their confusion: why do disasters keep happening frequently? They commented in the discussion section, expressing their wish for no more catastrophes in the world.