China blasts dam on Yangtze tributary to ease flooding, death toll climbs to more than 150
Authorities in central China have blasted a dam on the Yangtze River tributary on Sunday, July 19, 2020, to ease surging waters amid severe flooding. The grim situation has left millions affected, damaged more than 28 000 houses, and caused more than 150 fatalities– 23 of which were reported since Thursday alone, July 16.
According to state broadcaster China Central Television, the dam on the Chuhe River in Anhui Province was blasted with explosives early Sunday, and the water level was expected to drop by 700 mm (28 inches).
Water levels on hundreds of rivers, including the Yangtze, have been unusually high due to extremely heavy rains this season– 33 of which even crossed historical highs.
In the past week, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze opened three floodgates as the water level behind it surged to more than 15 m (50 feet) above flood level. Another surge is expected to occur at the dam on Tuesday, July 21.
Wangjia Dam in Anhui discharges flood on July 20 as water continues to rise in the Huai River. More than 2,000 residents in the flood storage area evacuated, some bringing thousands of geese to safety. https://t.co/gzGEIItRAb pic.twitter.com/1QOlGN4mO8
— The Paper 澎湃新闻 (@thepapercn) July 20, 2020
Officials and workers have been testing the strength of embankments elsewhere, shoring them up with rocks and sandbags.
On Saturday, July 18, firefighters and other crews finished filling in a 188 m (617 feet) break on Poyang Lake– the largest freshwater lake in China– which had caused widespread flooding across 15 villages. Authorities evacuated more than 14 000 people.
More than 150 people have died in flooding and landslides brought on by the torrential downpours– 23 of them since Thursday solely. More than 28 000 houses were damaged and 38 million people remain affected.
The worst-hit provinces are Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Hubei, Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang, Chongqing, Hunan, and Anhui. Meanwhile, the flood alert fort the Huai River was raised from Level 3 to Level 2.
The China Meteorological Administration forecasts more heavy rain over most parts of the affected provinces.
Featured image credit: CGTN/YouTube
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.