Guilin City Hit by Worst Floods Since 1998 Devastation

Source: OT-Team(G), 新华社; 南华早报
  The city of Guilin is experiencing its worst floods since 1998, with villagers trapped in their homes, shops under water and one railway station suspended as heavy rainfall continues to batter southern China.
  Authorities in Guilin issued a level-1 flood emergency alert on Wednesday morning. By that evening, water levels at the city's section of the Lijiang River had risen to 148.55 metres (487ft) – 2.55 metres (just over 8ft) beyond the alert level, and just over the 1998 peak of 148.4 metres, state broadcaster CCTV said.
  The devastating floods of 1998 lasted two months and wreaked havoc on 24 provinces. A total of 3,004 people were killed and another 220 million were affected, with countless homes destroyed.
  According to CCTV, multiple parts of Guilin, in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, are affected by the latest rains. So far, 69 residents have been rescued from their homes by boat, while others remain trapped.
  Local authorities have sent food and emergency materials to those still in their homes and confirmed that they are temporarily out of danger, CCTV said.
  Schools and buses have been suspended and some tourist spots are closed. Local traffic police said on Wednesday that multiple roads were flooded and one expressway had partially collapsed. Traffic control is in operation and repairs could take three months.
  Rail passengers were advised to use Guilin North station, after the main Guilin station's public square was flooded. On Thursday, Guilin station said on social media platform Weibo that some trains were suspended while others will be running late.
  According to CCTV on the morning of the 20th, the current round of precipitation has largely ended, and the water level in the urban section of the Li River is slowly receding. A video of the water level at Jiefang Bridge filmed by a netizen shows a noticeable decrease compared to the afternoon of the 19th.
  As the floodwaters gradually recede, silt has accumulated in some residential areas, roads, and markets. Dredging operations have been orderly carried out with the collaborative efforts of various sectors of society, and urban roads are gradually returning to normal traffic conditions.


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