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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Cong govt takes loans, gives it to Sonia Gandhi: Kangana Ranaut
Shimla (PTI): BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Sunday alleged that the Himachal Pradesh government takes loans and gives it to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi which has made the state's coffers "hollow".
Addressing people after launching a BJP membership drive at a village here, the actress-turned-politician said, "Everyone is aware that corruption is prevalent and the Congress-ruling state governments have hollowed their respective states."
She wondered how the party spends "so much" on elections.
Attacking the Congress government headed by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, she said, "They take loans and give it to Sonia Gandhi which has made the state hollow."
"Disasters and Congress government have taken the state decades back and I would appeal to people to root out the present government," Ranaut said.
"If we give disaster funds, it should go to the CM Relief Fund but everyone knows that it goes to the Sonia relief fund," she alleged.
