Recent floods continue to devastate southern China. In a recent incident, the city center of Guilin in Guangxi Province was inundated with floodwater reaching chest-deep levels. The train station was submerged, the inpatient department of Nanxi Mountain Hospital was flooded and experienced power outages, and tragically, a female store clerk in a pharmacy drowned after the store was flooded.
In addition, in Longyan, Fujian Province, 15 villages in Xikou Town are still isolated due to the flooding. The water levels of the Li River in Guilin, Guangxi, have been continually rising, causing the city center to be inundated by floodwaters.
Videos from “He’nan Business Daily’s” “Jiao Dian Video” on June 20th showed floodwaters inundating the city center of Guilin, turning roads into waterways with chest-high water levels. Local residents struggled to navigate through the floodwaters carrying supplies on their heads. The local hospital was also flooded, with corridors filled with water and patients wading through water to seek medical care.
On the night of June 19th, the inpatient department of Nanxi Mountain Hospital in Guilin was flooded as reported by “Da Wan News” on June 20th. Hospital staff confirmed on the 20th that they were still submerged by floodwater, communication was cut off, and despite ongoing drainage efforts, the entire inpatient department remained under water. Health Commission officials verified that the hospital was indeed flooded, and due to the floods, the hospital lost power and experienced telephone line malfunctions.
Official reports have indicated that the flood in Guilin along the Li River is the most severe since 1998. Mr. Wang of Guilin expressed to Epoch Times on the 20th that often floods occur due to the inability of reservoirs to handle the water, leading to the release of floodwaters. He mentioned that in this instance, the reservoir’s flood release might also be a contributing factor. He noted that heavy rain warnings were issued multiple times.
In a report by “Hua Business Daily’s” “Da Feng News” on the 20th, it was revealed that on the 19th, floodwaters entered a pharmacy at the entrance of Jia Shan Vegetable Market in Xiufeng District, Guilin, resulting in the tragic death of a female saleswoman inside the store.
Witnesses disclosed that the deceased female clerk was 20 years old, recently graduated, and had just started working at the pharmacy. She was from Quanzhou County. At the time, the floodwater was 80 centimeters deep. However, some internet users claim that the woman did not drown but was electrocuted.
Furthermore, videos circulating online showed Guilin Train Station flooded, with water seeping into the waiting hall. The popular tourist spot “Six Horses Under the Li River Bridge” in Guilin was completely submerged and unrecognizable.
Apart from Guangxi, Longyan in Fujian province is also grappling with ongoing flooding.
According to CCTV on June 20th, as of 8 a.m. on the 19th in Shanghang County, Longyan City, 87,848 people were affected by the floods, with 205 roads disrupted. Xikou Town in Shanghang County was the hardest hit, experiencing varying degrees of floods, debris flows, resulting in damages to infrastructure like water, electricity, communications, and transportation. Latest data indicates that 8 bridges in Xikou Town have been destroyed, and 15 natural villages remain isolated.
Previous reports revealed that on June 16th, Shanghang County, Longyan City, was hit by heavy rainfall causing at least 4 fatalities. A landslide occurred at Qingyuan Mountain, leading to the collapse of a temple burying 6 people. The “First Ancestral Hall of the Hakka” and the Li Family Ancestral Hall in Guantian Village, Shanghang County, suffered extensive damage. Meanwhile, Wu Ping County in Longyan experienced flooding resulting in at least 4 deaths and 2 people missing.
The Fujian Provincial Flood Control Office reported on June 18th that as of 8 p.m. on the 17th, 523,700 people in Fujian Province were affected by the floods, with 32,400 hectares of crops damaged, leading to direct economic losses estimated at 5.654 billion yuan.