HARBIN, Aug. 5 (silubaba) -- Yu Yangyang, a firefighter in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has had little sleep over the past few nights due to the work that he and his colleagues have been doing to rescue people stranded by floods caused by heavy rainfall.
For days, Heilongjiang has been grappling with continuous heavy rain, leading to the formation of the first major flood of the year along several rivers. The continuous downpours have caused vehicles to be submerged, people trapped and roads blocked.
Amid the deluge, Yu and his team from the city of Mudanjiang have been traveling on foot where vehicles are unavailable, wading through floodwaters to reach those in need. They worked in relays to carry the elderly and those with disabilities on their backs.
In Harbin, the provincial capital, floods had affected 135,430 residents, forcing 53,355 individuals to relocate as of 4 p.m. Friday. The cities of Shangzhi and Wuchang, administered by Harbin, are severely affected by the inundation.
In Shangzhi, Harbin's forest fire brigade has dispatched 654 personnel and 72 vehicles to the main urban area and other regions to reinforce levees and evacuate stranded residents.
So far, they have successfully rescued nearly 400 people and 170 vehicles, and have transported more than 15,000 sets of supplies. They have also reinforced levees over a distance of 850 meters and filled over 17,500 sandbags.
"Putting people first is the essence of disaster relief. No matter how arduous or dangerous the situation may be, we must do everything we can to safeguard the lives and property of the people," said Zhang Libo, deputy commander of the brigade.
In Wuchang, temporary shelters have been set up to accommodate evacuated residents.
Chen Lihua, principal of Yachen Middle School in Wuchang, said that on Thursday, the school campus was transformed into a flood relief center in as little as three hours. Around 40 school staff have volunteered to help organize the evacuees, register them and allocate rooms.
One of the affected residents, Chen Shifen, from Xinxing Village in Wuchang, sought shelter at the school. She left her home after receiving the notice to evacuate.
"There were buses to pick us up, and I simply packed up and left," she recalled.
Though anxious at first, she found comfort in reuniting with familiar faces from her village and witnessing the hard work of the staff at the relief center. "I feel secure and warm," she said. ■
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