Dongting Lake, the second-largest freshwater lake in China, has experienced a dam collapse due to heavy rainfall. The collapse forced an emergency evacuation of approximately 5,700 nearby residents.
According to reports from Xinhua News Agency on July 6, a portion of the dam at Dongting Lake in Hunan Province, collapsed at 5:48 PM the previous day due to heavier rainfall. The collapsed section of the dam reportedly stretches about 721 feet.
Chinese President Xi Jinping who is currently on a state visit to Central Asia’s Tajikistan urgently issued an order to do everything possible to protect the lives and property of the affected residents.
Xi said, “After the rainy season began, some areas have experienced heavy rainfall for an extended period,” and ordered, “Relevant departments and local party committees should promptly carry out relief and rescue operations.”
According to China Central Television (CCTV), authorities evacuated 5,755 nearby residents, preventing major casualties. Furthermore, the authorities mobilized over 2,100 rescue workers and 160 boats to commence emergency recovery operations.
While the northern regions of China continue to suffer from a heatwave, residents in the central and southern regions are grappling with consecutive heavy rains and floods.
Hunan Province has been experiencing the heaviest rainfall of the year since June 16. Some areas have recorded the highest rainfall ever. As the water level of the Yangtze River has risen, about 250,000 residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters this week alone.
On July 5, a tornado caused significant casualties in Heze City, Shandong Province. Strong winds of 76 miles per hour and heavy rainfall of 3.15 inches per hour injured around 80 people. Furthermore, around 2,800 buildings collapsed due to the tornado.
