Henan Floods

Massive flooding struck the city of Zhengzhou and areas of Henan Province on 20 July 2021 after days of torrential rain. According to state media, as of 22 July, 33 people have lost their lives and 8 are still missing. Around 3 million people have been affected and 376,000 people relocated to safer accommodation.

Images shared on Social Media showed streets of the city of Zhengzhou turned to rivers, with floating cars and residents stranded or wading through flood water up to 1.8 metres deep. The city’s subway was flooded, leaving passengers stranded and some trapped in train carriages up to their chests in flood water. Many were rescued after making their way to safety walking along flooded train tracks.

Massive rescue and relief efforts are still underway to deal with the impact of the floods. Teams from military, police and over 17,000 firefighters from Henan province have been joined by teams of 1,800 firefighters from neighbouring provinces. China’s National Health Commission has dispatched a working group to reinforce emergency and medical response efforts