On June 23, sudden heavy rain in Jingyuan County, Gansu Province triggered flash floods, causing multiple workers who were seeking shelter in vehicles to be swept away by floodwaters, with at least 5 people missing. According to witnesses, the flash floods came with great force, leaving people with no time to escape even in just a few minutes.
Reports from Jímù News stated that due to the impact of heavy rainfall, a flash flood disaster occurred at Xinquan Ditch in Yongxin Township, Xinquan Village, Jingyuan County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province around 6 p.m. on the 23rd.
Many local residents captured the terrifying scene of the flash flood approaching on their phones. Videos showed the previously dry riverbed being instantly filled with water, carrying debris and mud downstream. Excavators and cars on the riverbed were swept away by the floodwaters, with individuals struggling in the water and bystanders attempting to rescue them unsuccessfully.
A villager in a video mentioned, “Nine people, including those in a truck and a small car, got washed away. They were seeking refuge in the vehicles, but all got swept away.”
Local netizens commented on the video section, with one mentioning, “According to our driver, a Volkswagen Lavida worker didn’t listen to advice and insisted on driving through. In the end, both the vehicle and the people inside were swept away in the middle of the flood.”
On the 24th, a migrant worker at the scene informed Jímù News that he had never experienced a flash flood of such magnitude before. He described how in just a few minutes, it was impossible to run away, the road became impassable, and the situation was terrifying. After the rain subsided, he and his colleagues descended from the mountain and witnessed trucks and excavators being damaged and washed away by the flood, along with some roads being destroyed. As a result, the project they were working on had temporarily halted.
An official from Xinquan Village mentioned that among the missing individuals were workers involved in a photovoltaic project at Qingyang Village downstream of the ditch.
According to the official media outlet CCTV News, the local emergency management agency reported that a flash flood disaster occurred in the “dry ditch” of Xinquan Village, Yongxin Township, Jingyuan County around 6 p.m. on June 23. This ditch usually receives little rainfall. The local meteorological department recorded that between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the 23rd, the hourly precipitation in the area exceeded 40 millimeters, leading to the flash flood disaster. As of 2 a.m. on the 24th, the number of missing persons due to the disaster had increased to 5.