Severe rainstorms have wreaked havoc in Yuzhong County, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province in recent days, affecting multiple townships and leading to serious damage to roads, power lines, and communication facilities. Some villages have been almost completely flattened by the disaster. Official reports state that as of August 9th, the death toll from flash floods has risen to 15 people, with 15 others injured and 28 missing. Villagers have been seen clinging to trees and crying for help, only to tragically be swept away by the floods. Residents describe how the torrents cascaded down the mountainside, leaving a trail of destruction that still haunts them.
According to official reports, as of 6:30 am on August 9th, the flash floods in Yuzhong County have resulted in 15 fatalities, 28 missing persons, and 15 injuries.
Witnessing houses and cars being swept away in an instant by the flash floods, Wang Lin (a pseudonym) stood frozen in shock. He immediately thought of his grandmother living in Malian Beach Village, Ma Po Township in Yuzhong County, but after numerous failed attempts to contact her, he realized that communication in the area might have been cut off.
“The floods didn’t just come from one direction,” said Wang Lin, who resides in the county seat of Yuzhong. He recounted how, being at a relatively higher elevation during the flash floods, he watched in horror as the waters poured down the mountainside, the force of the destruction leaving him trembling, “My grandmother suffers from dementia, and I am very worried about her safety.”
Zhao, another resident of Yuzhong County in Guan Town, shared similar harrowing experiences. She recalled being on the 7th floor of her building when the flash floods hit on the night of August 7th, feeling the entire structure trembling so violently that she dared not step outside.
Zhao mentioned that several villages near the county seat of Yuzhong suffered severe damages, with some still without restored communication lines, leaving their fates unknown.
Zhang Kehui, a 26-year-old villager from Baiyawang Village, Malian Beach Village, Yuzhong County, told China Youth Daily that on the night of August 7th, the village suddenly lost power, followed by a deafening sound echoing from the mountains. The next morning, he crossed over the ridge to find that the mudslides had virtually leveled Xin Yaowan Village in Maliantan, with floodwaters and massive boulders everywhere, and an unknown number of residents missing.
Survivors from Xin Yaowan Village recounted their desperate escape in the darkness, scrambling up to higher ground, with some resorting to climbing trees and screaming for help, only to be swept away by the raging waters.
In addition to Xin Yaowan Village, two other communities were severely affected as well. Xinglong Mountain Scenic Area, over 10 kilometers north of Maliantan Village, also suffered heavy damages from the flash floods. The provincial-level cultural relic, Xinglong Mountain Ruyi Bridge, was washed away, numerous structures within the scenic area were damaged, and many vehicles were carried off by the waters, trapping visitors momentarily.
Starting from 6:00 pm on August 7th, Yuzhong County and surrounding areas experienced 12 consecutive hours of extreme torrential rain, triggering the flash flood disaster.
The Gansu Provincial Information Office held a press conference on the evening of August 8th. Pan Zhe, a member of the Lanzhou Municipal Committee and Deputy Mayor of Lanzhou, stated that the heavy rainfall and flash floods had caused severe damage to the infrastructure in five townships – Chengguan Town, Mapo Township, Xiaoguanying Township, Xiaguanying Town, and Xinying Town in Lanzhou City. Approximately 102 kilometers of roads, 5 bridges, and access to 14 administrative village roads were severely disrupted.
Power supply, communication networks, and civilian water sources were also affected, with 7 power lines damaged, 37 villages experiencing power outages, 114 base stations interrupted, affecting communication for over 10,000 people. Drinking water and river embankments sustained significant damage, impacting the normal water supply for 24,000 individuals. Approximately 3,620 mu of farmland was affected, leading to over 30,000 people being affected and over 2,540 houses damaged.
As of midnight on the 9th, power supply in the disaster area remained disrupted by 40%, with 51 roads in Yuzhong County severed due to the flash floods.