Heavy rains swept through Hubei’s Xianfeng recently. On July 2, according to local netizens, a couple died of electric shock while they were trying to rescue supplies on the street.
According to netizens, the late man was known as “Xianfeng graduate Mr. Chen” on Douyin, where his final video was posted.
In the video, filmed at 2 a.m. with rain pouring down and the river raging, the man can be heard saying, “Heaven, please stop raining. If it continues for another hour, the river will overflow into Zhongjian River.”
The sister of the deceased woman commented on the video section, “My brother-in-law was downstairs informing others to move vehicles and store valuables. She (my sister) was worried about him, and the two of them met their fate at the store entrance.”
Another netizen mentioned, “Mr. Chen and his wife have always been warm-hearted people, sincere and enthusiastic towards others. They were still helping people move vehicles around two or three in the morning. When we saw the news, tears couldn’t stop flowing, finding it hard to believe this was real.”
As per a knowledgeable netizen, “The couple were not far from us, a very good and capable couple, leaving behind two daughters and a mother.”
On the 2nd, an informed person told the “Beijing News” that the incident occurred in the early hours of the 1st. The deceased couple, around 30 years old, left the store after helping with rescue efforts, and are suspected to have been electrocuted due to water with electric current on the street.
The Gaole Mountain Town government confirmed that a couple had died in the heavy rain. The Xianfeng County Power Supply Company stated they had not yet received any reports of electrocution deaths. The Xianfeng County Committee Propaganda Department mentioned that the cause of death of the couple is still under investigation.
From the evening of June 30 to July 1, Xianfeng County in Hubei Province experienced heavy rains, with a total rainfall of 358.8 mm. The torrential rains caused flooding in some urban areas and townships, with water depth exceeding 2.5 meters in some areas. The topic “Hubei’s Xianfeng hit by severe rainstorms” briefly trended on Weibo’s hot search list.
Videos shared by netizens showed floodwaters flowing through the streets, submerging many shops and washing away several cars. It was reported that Gaole Mountain Town, Qujiang Town, and other areas relocated over 18,000 affected residents.