‘Wartime’ situation as worst flooding in 70 years hits county in central China

One-third of Pingjiang’s old town and half of its new town is said to be under water and more than 5,300 people have been evacuated so far

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Residents are evacuated from a flooded village in Pingjiang county, Hunan province on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 3:00pm, 2 Jul 2024Updated: 4:10pm, 2 Jul 2024

A county in the central Chinese province of Hunan has been hit with the most severe flooding seen in 70 years after torrential storms, with local authorities declaring it a “wartime” emergency situation.

The Miluo River – which flows through Pingjiang county and eventually joins the Yangtze – had reached 77.7 metres (255 feet) by 12.30am on Tuesday, the county government said.

That was the highest water level recorded since 1954, and it exceeded the alert level by more than 7 metres.

Pingjiang county has been inundated after heavy rains. Photo: Xinhua

Pingjiang – home to 1.15 million people – is a county within Yueyang, a city in Hunan’s northeast.

In nearby Miluo county, also in Yueyang, at least two villagers were reported missing after a landslide on Monday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Heavy rains that brought widespread flooding to southern China have battered the Yangtze River region in recent weeks.

A dyke burst in two sections along the upper reaches of the Miluo River in Pingjiang, flooding large swathes of the county, while reservoirs were overflowing.

One-third of Pingjiang’s old town and half of its new town is under water, provincial newspaper Hunan Daily reported. Floodwater in some areas was said to be as high as 3 metres.