12 killed in heavy rain, floods in central China
Beijing, Jul 21: At least 12 people were killed while about 100,000 have been relocated to safe places in China's central Henan province which received the highest daily rainfall since the weather record began, state media reported on Wednesday.
Provincial capital Zhengzhou reported a record-high hourly precipitation of 201.9 mm between 4 PM and 5 PM on Tuesday, the Henan provincial meteorological centre said.
The downtown area of Zhengzhou received an average precipitation of 457.5 mm within 24 hours on Tuesday, the highest daily rainfall since the weather record began, Xinhua news agency reported.
Twelve people were killed while about 100,000 have been relocated to safe places, it said.
Henan province is home to many cultural sites and a major base for industry and agriculture. Reports said that Shaolin Temple, known for its Buddhist monks' mastery of martial arts, was severely hit by floods.
The severe waterlogging has led to the virtual paralysis of the city's road traffic. Over 80 bus lines have been suspended, more than 100 temporarily detoured and the subway service has also been temporarily suspended.
Rainwater poured into the subway tunnel of the city's Line Five, trapping an unknown number of passengers aboard a subway train.
Police officers, firefighters and workers from the local sub district have arrived at the site for the rescue operation, the report said.
The water level inside the subway carriage is receding, and the passengers are temporarily safe, it said.
More than 160 train services were stopped at Zhengzhoudong Railway Station.
The airport in Zhengzhou cancelled 260 flights into and out of the city, and local railway authorities also halted or delayed some trains.
Affected by the rainstorms, several residential communities in the city are without tap water and electricity.
Both Henan provincial and Zhengzhou municipal meteorological bureaus have raised the emergency response for meteorological disasters to level I.
Heavy rains in Henan are expected to last until Wednesday night, according to forecasts.
Dramatic scenes in the Chinese city of #Zhengzhou of people trapped in the worst flooding the city has seen in decades. 12 people are confirmed dead, most died in submerged subway stations. No power and water in many parts of the city. 10,000 firefighters and soldiers deployed. pic.twitter.com/g5eEim5n7H
— Katrina Yu (@Katmyu) July 21, 2021
Life and death moment: a woman was rescued from flood waters by several people through a rope in Zhengzhou, which has been hit by torrential rains that have killed 12 people. pic.twitter.com/COvByKSd6Q
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) July 21, 2021
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Congress files complaint against DD Journalist for labelling Kharge as ‘traitor’
New Delhi: The Congress party has filed an official complaint against Doordarshan (DD) journalist Ashok Shrivastav, condemning his programme that portrayed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as a "traitor" during a time of heightened military conflict with Pakistan. The party called the broadcast harmful to national unity and accused the state-owned broadcaster of spreading divisive and inflammatory contentx reported News Laundry.
In the complaint, Congress highlighted the seriousness of the situation, noting that the country is dealing with violent conflict with Pakistan, during which several Indian citizens and military officers have lost their lives. “During such a war-like situation, Ashok Shrivastav and DD News are airing malicious content which not only incites violence against Mallikarjun Kharge and promotes enmity towards the Congress Party, but also harms national integrity, peace and harmony,” said Congress leader Bhadauria.
The controversy began on May 6, when Ashok Shrivastav shared a promotional poster for his debate show on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The graphic featured Kharge, Lok Sabha MP Imran Masood, and Islamic scholar Arshad Madani under a caption that read: “India is ready but how many traitors are in the House?” The programme was aired on Doordarshan.
Senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal demanded an unconditional apology from Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, stating that the use of such language was unacceptable during a national crisis. “Labelling Kharge ji and MP Imran Masood ji as ‘gaddar’ is extremely divisive. The Congress president has extended unequivocal support to the armed forces and the government since the Pahalgam terror attack,” he said.
Venugopal also reminded the public of the Congress party’s historical record of supporting the government during previous wars with Pakistan, including its support to the Vajpayee-led administration during the Kargil conflict.
The inclusion of Islamic scholar Arshad Madani in the same graphic has also drawn sharp criticism. Critics questioned how a respected religious figure could be grouped with political leaders under a label that suggests disloyalty, especially by a public service broadcaster.
Other Congress leaders, including MP Manickam Tagore, also condemned the broadcast, saying it was disgraceful and called on Minister Vaishnaw to issue an apology. The Congress party accused Doordarshan of misusing public platforms for political purposes and spreading communal undertones, which they say is dangerous at a time of national security threats.
As of now, there has been no official response from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or from Doordarshan regarding the complaint.
