By LIANG Junyi, ZHANG Xu

Heavy rain has caused severe flooding in Zhuozhou City in North China’s Hebei Province. Trapped residents are urgently awaiting rescue. The rain began on Saturday with almost 300 millimeters falling by Monday, bringing floods to more than 220 square kilometers of the city. 

A resident told Jiemian News that she went to Beijing to buy medicine for her grandfather, but couldn’t return home because of the flood: "The village is overwhelmed, so I’m so worried about my family. My husband told me early morning that the water had reached his waist."

Many of the 130,000 affected by the floods are awaiting rescue, but cannot be contacted since signal stations have been submerged. Residents in safe areas of the city have set up shelters, providing accommodation and meals for evacuees. 

An Xin Nursery has set up a shelter that can host about 100 people, but so far, only a few have sought refuge there. “We can accommodate whoever comes, but many people can’t reach here,” said ZHANG Lingling, in charge of the shelter.

City authorities have mobilized 28 teams totaling almost 9,000 rescue volunteers, who are collaborating with professional rescue squads. The city is facing challenges in maintaining essential services. With over 130,000 people affected, authorities are focused on coordinating rescue and support.