Other areas in Fujian Province have also fallen victim to landslides, brought on by the extreme weather. One landslide claimed the lives of four people in a village in Nanping.
Torrential rains and landslides have destroyed parts of Xiaqian village in Nanping. The landslide occurred early Monday morning.
A river of mud and rocks buried several houses while 6 people slept inside. 2 were lucky. They only suffered minor injuries. 4 other villagers have been confirmed dead including one located late Tuesday afternoon almost 36 hours after the tragedy happened.
Floods have blocked the roads leading into town. Power has been cut. Over 600 residents have been evacuated to safer locations.
"We are told to evacuate to Jianyang district."
"Our family, all four of us, are here now."
A hydro-power station is located just 4 kilometers away upstream. We weren’t able to visit the station, as floodwaters continued to pour into the reservoir. Locals liken the situation to a ticking time bomb.
"There are landslides around the reservoir. The water has yet spilled over the dam. But we cannot rule out what will happen to the dam," said Gu Guohai, Chief of Organization Dept. in Jianyang District.
Villagers reported that they saw the possibility that water may burst the dam. If that happens, the floods will drown the whole village. In the afternoon, a team of experts have checked the dam and ruled out any serious danger for the moment.
But as there is no power to open the gates on the dam, danger still exists.
Workers have already started repairing the power grid. The local electric power company said they will send a big electric generator to the dam, to open the gates and relieve the capacity of the reservoir.
"We’ve asked geological experts to check the surrounding mountains to see if the whole village needs to be relocated. We will make long-term and short-term plans to ensure the safety of villagers," said Yang Xinqiang, Director of Jianyang District.
But it will be a long time before things will be back to normal in this village.
