China’s military has blasted a dam to release floodwaters threatening one of its most heavily populated provinces, as the death toll in widespread flooding rose to at least 25.

The dam operation was carried out late Tuesday night in the city of Luoyang, just as severe flooding overwhelmed the Henan provincial capital of Zhengzhou, trapping residents in the subway system and stranding them at schools, apartments and offices.

Another seven people were reported missing, provincial officials said at a news conference.

A video posted on Twitter by news site The Paper showed subway passengers standing in chest-high muddy brown water as torrents raged in the tunnel outside.

Transport and work have been disrupted throughout the province, with rain turning streets into rapidly flowing rivers, washing away cars and rising into people’s homes.

At least 10 trains carrying about 10,000 passengers were halted, including three for more than 40 hours, according to Caixin, a business news magazine. Sections of 26 highways were closed due to the rain, the Transport Ministry said on its social media account.

A blackout shut down ventilators at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, forcing staff to use hand-pumped airbags to help patients breathe, according to the city’s Communist Party committee. It said more than 600 patients were being transferred to other hospitals.

A woman aboard a subway in a flooded tunnel told her husband the water almost reached her neck and passengers had trouble breathing, the Henan Business Daily newspaper reported.

It said staff at a subway station told her husband all passengers had been evacuated but acknowledged that wasn’t so after he started a video chat with his wife on his cellphone showing she still was aboard.

The precise times and locations of the deaths and disappearances weren’t immediately clear, although the province said more than 100,000 people have been evacuated to safety.

Henan province has many cultural sites and is a major base for industry and agriculture. It is crisscrossed by multiple waterways, many of them linked to the Yellow River, which has a long history of bursting its banks during periods of intensive rainfall.

State media on Wednesday showed waters at waist height, with rain still coming down.

To the north of Zhengzhou, the famed Shaolin Temple, known for its Buddhist monks’ mastery of martial arts, was also badly hit.

China routinely experiences floods during the summer, but the growth of cities and conversion of farmland into subdivisions has worsened the impact of such events.

 

Related Stories
‹
China Flooding Brought Fear, Then Washed Away Livelihoods
Written by DAKE KANG The night the rains came, all Yu Ruiping could do was huddle in her market stall. The electricity went out. Her phone went dead. And the water just kept rising. When the skies cleared, the market was surrounded by chest-high water — trapping Yu and her husband for two days with […]
A Summit and Parade in China May Signal a Geopolitical Shift. They Might Also Be Political Jockeying
The leaders of China, North Korea and Russia stood shoulder to shoulder Wednesday as high-tech military hardware and thousands of marching soldiers filled the streets of Beijing.
UNC Marks 2 Years Since Zijie Yan's Fatal Shooting With Memorial Bench Dedication and Lecture
UNC leaders and the applied physical sciences department held a memorial event Thursday for the two-year anniversary of Zijie Yan's death.
Carrboro's Public Works Facility and Vehicles Damaged by Floodwaters
The Carrboro Public Works facility, located off Smith Level Road, suffered significant flooding Sunday night and saw a portion of the town's vehicle fleet totaled by the high waters.
Hillsborough Under Boil Water Notice, OWASA Responds to Chapel Hill Wastewater Overflows
Flooding from the Eno River led to the Town of Hillsborough issuing a boil water notice for water and sewer customers until further notice.
Orange County Reports First Fatality From Storm; Shelter Opens for Flood Victims
As the area continues assessing storm damage and waiting for high waters to recede, Orange County opened a public shelter at Smith Middle School.
Photo Gallery: Tropical Depression Chantal Causes Floods In Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Chatham County
Here's Chapelboro's photo gallery of flooding and aftermath, featuring images gathered from Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Chatham County.
Mebane, Orange County Warn of Lake Michael Dam Potential Failure Amid Heavy Rain
UPDATE: During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders said the Lake Michael Dam did not fail. Residents in the area, however, are encouraged to remain in higher ground until high waters recede. Below is the initial story published early Monday morning. The City of Mebane warned residents in […]
Vietnam Celebrates 50 Years Since War’s End With Focus on Peace and Unity
Vietnam on Wednesday celebrated the 50th anniversary of the end of the war with the United States and the formation of its modern nation with a military parade and a focus on a peaceful future.
The United States and China Are Locked In a Faceoff Over Tariffs. No One Wants To Blink First
President Donald Trump tried to narrow his global trade war into a direct — and risky — faceoff with China, escalating the tariff fight.
›