Death Toll Rises In China Floods

• Doubts mount over official preparedness level
• Public scrutiny on contradictory statements from local media
• Disturbing differences in posts by authorities and public

The official death toll from central China’s devastating floods has risen to 33, as the public began to ask questions about the readiness of authorities for the humanitarian disaster.

Health Authorities said over 200,000 people have been displaced with more than three million others affected by the rampaging floods

Already, cleanup efforts have been underway in Henan province and the capital city Zhongzhou on Thursday after the record-breaking rainstorm flooded the city’s streets and subway, leaving in its wake damaged dams and reservoirs.

Also added to collapsed roads, reports indicated cut power to at least one hospital, which has been linked to a massive explosion that occurred at a factory in Dengfeng city.

Heavy rain was forecast to continue this week, driven in part by a strengthening typhoon east of Taiwan. In Guangdong, in southern China, 13 construction workers were killed when they were trapped in a flooded tunnel.

The Henan disaster has prompted public scrutiny over the preparedness of authorities, in particular the apparently inaccurate weather forecasts, and the decision to keep the subway operating throughout the deluge.

Meteorological bodies have referred to the rainstorm, which saw a year’s worth of rainfall in three days, as a one-in-1,000-year weather event. The rainfall broke hourly and daily records of the 70 years of collected data.

At least 12 of the deaths occurred on the subway, where about 1,000 people were reportedly trapped in stations and carriages after water filled the tunnels. Alarming footage showed people clinging to handrails in chest-high water.

Local authorities said the heavy rain caused water to accumulate in the parking lot near Line 5 of the metro, breaking through a retaining wall at around 6 pm and flooding the line, stopping trains between Shakoulu, where at least five deaths are believed to have occurred, and Haitainsi stations.

The Chinese government has ordered local authorities to make immediate improvements to urban flood controls and emergency responses, including hidden risks on the rail system.

“They must take emergency measures such as suspending trains, evacuating passengers, and closing stations in atypical situations such as excessively intense storms,” the ministry said in a statement viewed at least 190m times on Weibo.

Hawkish state-owned tabloid, the Global Times, said it was “absolutely impossible to keep Zhengzhou from flooding” in such heavy rains but greater mitigation efforts were needed to reduce the loss of life.

Concerns had been raised about the safety of the subway system – which opened its first line in 2013 – the decision to keep it operating at peak hour when the rain was at its heaviest, and the transparency of officials.

Online commenters were divided but included substantial criticism of the response. “Why didn’t you close the subway in advance when it was raining so heavily,” asked one.

“I only see loads from Mr and Ms Hindsight,” said another in response to the Ministry’s statement. “We can’t control the flood, but they should have suspended the operation when numerous alerts were released.”

Zheng, a safety worker at Zhengzhou metro, told Southern Weekly on Wednesday they tried to keep the trains running so people could get home but were overwhelmed by the Tuesday afternoon downpour. “This is the first time in my life I have witnessed water flooding into the metro station. I felt hopeless,” he said.

The Henan Business Daily newspaper reported staff at one station telling a man all passengers had been evacuated but had to acknowledge that wasn’t true after he started a video call with his wife who was still trapped on board a train.

She told her husband the water had almost reached her neck and passengers were struggling to breathe, the report said.