A section of the dam surrounding Dongting Lake, the second-largest freshwater lake in China, burst due to heavy rainfall. Thousands of residents were evacuated due to the breach.
A portion of the 226m (741 feet) long dike surrounding the lake in Huarong County, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, collapsed at around 5 PM. The collapsed section was approximately 220m (722 feet) long.
Chinese President Xi Jinping instructed to do everything possible to protect the lives and property of the affected residents. He was out of the country visiting Tajikistan in Central Asia. Xi stated, “Some areas have experienced heavy rainfall for extended periods since the start of the rainy season. Relevant departments and local party committees must swiftly carry out relief and rescue operations.”
Due to this incident, around 6,000 residents were urgently evacuated, and all roads were blocked. There have been no reports of casualties. Chinese authorities have mobilized over 2,100 rescue workers and 160 boats for emergency repair work.
This incident was mainly due to unprecedented rainfall. While the northern regions of China are experiencing a heatwave, central and southern areas are experiencing heavy floods.
Hunan Province has been hit by the heaviest rainfall of the year since July 16th. The rising water levels of the Yangtze River have caused around 250,000 residents to evacuate just this week.
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