At the end of July, the city of Zixing in Hunan Province, China, was hit by the typhoon “Gaemi,” causing severe flooding. Residents of Zixing revealed that the situation in Longxi Township was particularly dire, with no typhoon warning received prior to the disaster. The small hydroelectric station in Longxi was washed away, and the majority of the victims were reported to be elderly and children.
On July 26, Zixing City in Hunan Province was affected by the residual circulation of Typhoon “Gaemi,” leading to communication disruptions with eight villages in the Yao ethnic township of Bamianshan. The Chinese authorities initially reported 4 deaths, 3 missing persons, and 17 severe injuries on July 30. However, updated data on August 1 indicated that by noon on that day, there were 30 confirmed deaths and 35 people still missing.
Local resident Chen Ming told reporters that the official reports only accounted for a portion of the actual casualties. According to him, the situation in Longxi Township was extremely tragic and heartbreaking, with many elderly individuals and children among the victims.
Chen Ming mentioned that the most severe impact of the flooding was on Longxi Township, stating, “It’s really tragic, almost unbearable to see.” He shared that the collapse of the small hydroelectric station in Longxi led to devastating consequences, particularly due to the large number of elderly and children in the area.
Moreover, Chen Ming highlighted the proliferation of numerous privately owned small hydroelectric stations in the region, emphasizing that their construction was primarily driven by profit motives rather than safety considerations.
Public records revealed that there were over a hundred small hydroelectric stations in Zixing City, with Longxi Township alone hosting ten such facilities, including the now-destroyed Yangjiaping, Zhongtang, Mashanbei, Niutou River Level I and II, Yuankeng, Jiangbeilang, Taoyuan, Liushuping, Leitou, and Shuitou hydroelectric stations.
Within Longxi Township, the region is known for Longxi River and Niutou River, and as of October 31, 2014, it comprised one community and eight administrative villages, including Longxi Community, Xiadong Village, Qiumu Village, Zhongdong Village, Shuitou Village, Zhongtang Village, Doup…