ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Chinese officials are responding urgently to manage floods caused by a dam breach in central China’s Hunan province, reported state media. The breach occurred on Friday afternoon along part of an embankment near Dongting Lake. Although there were no immediate casualties, nearly 6,000 people were evacuated as a precaution.
The breach, which spanned 226 meters (740 feet), led to flooding that submerged farmland and encroached upon village homes, as depicted in footage from state broadcaster CCTV. To manage the situation, traffic controls have been imposed on all roads leading in and out of Huarong county, affecting around half a million residents.
President Xi Jinping has called for comprehensive rescue efforts to protect lives and property. The emergency management ministry has mobilized significant resources, including over 800 personnel, nearly 150 vehicles, and numerous boats to repair the breach and aid flood relief operations.
In response to the ongoing challenges posed by extreme weather this summer, China has allocated approximately $74 million in additional relief funding for Hunan and other affected areas. This allocation comes amidst a season marked by widespread flooding in central and southern regions, compounded by intense heat waves in the north.
China’s vulnerability to such weather events underscores broader concerns about climate change, exacerbated by the country’s status as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Recent weeks have seen extensive evacuations due to rising river levels, including a substantial displacement of people in eastern China due to rainstorms affecting the Yangtze and other rivers. Prior incidents in Hunan and Guangdong provinces have also highlighted the deadly impact of heavy rains, floods, and landslides in the region.