Rainstorms hit south China, forcing evacuation of over 13,000 people

Rainstorms swept through parts of south China's Guangdong and Hainan provinces, inundating roads and causing the evacuation of over 13,000 people.

Heavy rainfall started in Sanya City of Hainan at wee hours on Sunday, leading to waterlogging on certain roads.

On Sunday, the average precipitation in Sanya reached 123.9 millimeters.

At about 09:00 on Sunday, a bus with 19 people on board was stranded on an inundated road in Tianya District, with the water level reaching as deep as 80 centimeters.

Firefighters rushed to the site and managed to help all the people trapped in the bus out thorough a window.

On the same day, firefighters also successfully evacuated several residents in Jiyang District with rubber boats.

Under the lingering impact of Typhoon Haikui, Yangjiang City in Guangdong has seen persistent rainstorms in recent days, resulting in an average precipitation of 155.2 millimeters within a 24-hour period as of 18:00 on Sunday.

Local authorities have raised the emergency response for flood control to Level II, the second-highest level in the response system, and stepped up effort on reservoir regulation to safeguard the lives and property of downstream residents.

"We are currently on a 24-hour duty, and closely monitoring the water levels of downstream rivers. We have formulated dispatch plans to ensure the utmost safety of reservoirs and to protect the lives and property of people residing downstream," said Li Tao, director of the Dahe Reservoir Management Center of Yangjiang.

A total of 13,200 people had been evacuated in 48 districts and towns of Yangjiang as of 17:30 on Sunday.

(Source: Reuters)

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