China Hides Another Catastrophe: Mountain Collapses, Dam Breaks, City Flooded, Thousands Missing

Influenced by Typhoon Xiaodou and days of heavy rain, a mudslide struck Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province at around 4 a.m. on September 5th. Authorities said 12 homes were damaged, three people have been rescued, including one person who died, while 11 others remain missing. However, because the Chinese Communist authorities have a history of concealing information, the reported death toll and number of missing people still need to be verified. From September 3rd to 4th, Central and Southern Jiangxi Province were hit by torrential to extremely heavy rain, with some areas experiencing record-breaking downpours. After being soaked, parts of Shuiquan County suffered landslides along roads, blocking traffic. Power was cut off, and many communication towers and fiber optic cables were damaged. Many areas of Ji'an, Jiangxi Province were hit by flooding. Video showed that after the heavy rain, floods swept through Shuiquan County. Some local residents said the flooding was the worst they had seen in a century. A local resident familiar with the situation said, Shuiquan County had already been flooded, while entire sections of mountains and the surrounding areas had collapsed. The situation was extremely serious. Many homes were gone, and crops in the field that were almost ready for harvest had been completely destroyed. The resident said the rain had continued non-stop, and water released from upstream reservoirs had added to the situation. At around 4 a.m. on September 5th, the Yutian Bridge in Shuiquan County was hit by a powerful flood surge and collapsed, leaving only the piers behind. Some online users said it was another example of poor-quality construction, calling it a tofu-dreg project. The Ganjiang River Ji'an Hydrological Station exceeded warning levels in the early hours of September 4th. Wan'an Reservoir increased water discharge, with the outflow controlled at around 9,200 cubic yards per second. The reservoir discharge, combined with continued heavy rain and incoming water from upstream, has significantly increased flood control pressure in downstream and midstream areas of Ganjiang River. This includes Ji'an, Zhangshu, and Nanchang. Low-lying areas face an extremely high risk of flooding. The Jiangxi Provincial Hydrological Monitoring Center upgraded its flood warning to orange on September 5th. Forecasts show that river sections in downtown Ji'an City could rise about 9 feet above the warning level, while the water flow in urban areas of Zhangshu City and Nanchang City would continue increasing. Influenced by Typhoon Soudel, Zhejiang Province was hit by days of heavy rain. On September 2nd, a landslide occurred near Rui'an No. 6 High School after intense rainfall. Mud and trees rushed down the slope, burying some parked vehicles. Video circulating online showed the landslide area near the school's northwest gate. Large amounts of mud and construction debris were mixed together, and some muddy water was pushed by rainwater onto the commercial street outside the school. The school and education authorities later said the landslide was a relatively small soil collapse and caused no casualties. In addition, a major landslide occurred on September 3rd in Wenzhou City. It blocked the spillway of Jinjilong Mountain Pond, causing the reservoir water level to rise dangerously and creating a risk of overflow. Landslides also occurred on multiple roads. Large amounts of mud, rocks, and fallen trees piled up on the roads, completely blocking traffic. Kengmeng Village was temporarily cut off from outside access. However, because local authorities have restricted information, it remains unknown whether there are any casualties. Typhoon Soudel took a highly unusual path. After making landfall twice on August 28th in Taizhou and Wenzhou, it weakened into a low-pressure system. But on the morning of September 1st, it revived into a typhoon and made its third landfall in China on September 3rd. The third landfall occurred along the coast of Fujian Province. Water levels in multiple rivers rose rapidly, with some embankments even breaking. Large numbers of homes were destroyed by flooding, and many residents had no time to evacuate. At 5 a.m. on September 4th, a landslide struck Putian, Fujian Province. A large amount of soil rushed in and blocked the staircase between the first and second floors of a local building, trapping two elderly residents upstairs. Firefighters arrived at the scene and used ropes and bamboo ladders to reach the second floor, successfully rescuing the two elderly people. At the same time, in the early hours of September 4th, a major landslide also occurred in Lunping Village, Huaqing Town, destroying the homes of more than a dozen households. On the afternoon of September 4th, Mr. Chen, who had just evacuated, told a Chinese media reporter that Lunping Village is located on a mountain slope, with houses built close together. When he entered the village, he saw that a large section of the mountain had collapsed. It buried several homes, including those belonging to his grandmother and uncle. Heavy rain had started the previous day, but there had been no flooding at first. His cousin worried about the safety of his grandmother and uncle, and asked them to stay at her home. But the two elderly people insisted on remaining in their own houses. Unexpectedly, at around 4 a.m. on September 4th, a sudden landslide occurred, and the two elderly residents have been missing ever since. Experts said landslides are the result of multiple factors, including climate change, unique geological conditions, and human activity. In China, large-scale construction projects, such as roads and hydropower stations, often involve evacuating mountains and cutting slopes. If slope protection measures cannot keep up, or if excavation disrupts the original balance of the mountain structure, landslides can easily be triggered during the rainy season. On September 2nd, a cemetery in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, suffered a collapse after heavy rain. Many graves were destroyed, tombstones were broken, and cremation urns were washed away. After days of heavy rain, water levels in rivers around the Tulou Scenic Area in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, rose sharply, reaching depths of around 13 to 16 feet. On the afternoon of September 3rd, a 600-year-old banyan tree at the scenic area was uprooted and knocked down by floodwaters. From September 3rd to 4th alone, in just two days, rainfall in Putian exceeded 14.6 inches. Some villages and towns received more than 19 inches of rain in a single day. That's equivalent to what many northern Chinese cities receive in the entire year. On September 3rd, a thousand-year-old bridge in Fengtian Town, Xianyou County, was washed away. Known as Taiping Bridge, the bridge was normally used by local residents. On September 4th, a staff member in Putian said the bridge had existed for more than a thousand years, but many of its components and sections had been rebuilt in recent years. Aerial footage shows that the entire city of Putian was submerged in water. On September 4th, the highest water level reached nearly 10 feet. Many homes collapsed one after another after being battered and soaked by floodwaters. An elderly resident struggled in the muddy water, using his hands to grab onto the remains of a collapsed building while calling for help. A woman trapped inside her home told the media that the heavy rain began on the morning of September 3rd. By that night, floodwater had already reached the first floor, trapping her and her 85-year-old grandmother on the second floor. The heavy rain stopped on September 4th, but the water level had risen to the staircase on the first floor and showed no signs of receding. Her grandmother was also unable to leave. A video showed that a three-story building in Putian being struck by floodwaters. The foundation was gradually washed away until the entire structure suddenly collapsed. The scene was accompanied by a loud crash as walls and doors shattered instantly, and debris being swept away by the floodwaters. The entire collapse happened within just a few seconds. On September 3rd, large amounts of floodwaters submerged nearby low-lying roads, while continuous rainfall also triggered landslide risks on surrounding hillsides. The flood control embankment along the Mulan River in Putian collapsed on September 3rd. Floodwaters struck multiple local villages, causing many homes to collapse as residents cried out for help. Putian authorities said that by 11 pm that night, 50 households with 171 people had been relocated. However, public information shows that Xihu village has about 268 households and around 1,200 residents. The number of households relocated by authorities accounted for only 18% of the total, while the number of people accounted for about 13%. Local residents told the media that reservoirs in Putian and Fu'an released water without warning, and residents were not notified in advance. They said floodwaters submerged villages in the middle of the night. One Weibo user wrote, the flooding in Fujian this time was extremely serious. These past few days, the sky seemed like it was leaking with non-stop heavy rain. The village where my sister lives in Putian released reservoir water in the middle of last night. She said there was no warning or notification. When she woke up today, the water had already risen to the first floor. Cars were flooded, and while she was on the phone with me, the houses around her were collapsing one after another. She let me listen to the sounds of the buildings collapsing. The post continued, my sister's house was built relatively high, so there was still somewhere for her to move, but other villagers had nowhere to go. My sister's family suffered major financial losses, but we have to admit that in the face of natural disasters, everyone's situation is extremely unequal. Official information showed that among 216 medium and large reservoirs across Putian province, many were releasing water between September 3rd and 4th. Among them, Jingzhong Reservoir, Jiangge Reservoir, and Guyang Reservoir released floodwater. Shanzi Reservoir in Fuzhou increased its discharge flow starting at 11.30am on September 3rd. A landslide occurred on the dam of Baoxi Reservoir in Fuding on the morning of September 2nd. An emergency water discharge was carried out on September 3rd to protect the dam. Shuikou Hydropower Station in Mingqing County opened its floodgates and discharged water from September 1st to 3rd. Two major reservoirs in Quanzhou, the Shanmen Reservoir and the Longmentan Reservoir, as well as two medium-sized ones, also released water without warning, causing flooding on multiple urban roads. Local residents said the floodwaters arrived too quickly. Many people desperately called for help, but rescue teams were unable to reach everyone in time. On September 3rd, Putian's two major reservoirs, the Dongzhen and Jingzhong, opened their floodgates. Among Putian's 10 largest reservoirs, six are located in Xianyou County. The release of water from multiple reservoirs and hydropower stations in the area caused river levels to rise. The Mulan River is called the mother river of Putian City, and its tributaries rose rapidly. A resident near Taqiao in Putian City said Local residents also said no rescue personnel had arrived at the scene. Affected residents had to rescue themselves and did not even know where they should go. Villagers said authorities only informed them that Dongzhen Reservoir would release water, but they did not receive advanced evacuation notices. Starting at 10 a.m. on September 3rd, Huali Industrial Park in Putian was flooded. Residents suspected the flooding was caused by increased discharge from upstream reservoirs. Because they received no warning, they had no time to move their belongings. Chinese media reported that heavy rain had continued non-stop since September 1st, and by the 3rd, water levels were rising extremely quickly. One business owner said, I've run a shop here for 20 years, and I've never seen water this high. On September 4th, Putian was hit by both heavy rain and reservoir discharge. All of Siju Village's houses collapsed, leaving residents trapped and calling for help. It is worth noting that the most basic and traditional function of reservoirs is flood control during the rainy season. During heavy rainfall or flood seasons, reservoirs are designed to store excess water upstream, reduce peak flood flows, and protect downstream cities. Another function is drought relief. During dry seasons with little rainfall, reservoirs release water to provide stable irrigation supplies for downstream farmland and support agricultural production. However, in reality, reservoirs in China frequently release water without warning during the rainy season, especially before or even during periods of intense rainfall. This is because many reservoirs fear dam failures, as the engineering quality of some dams is also a concern. Public information shows that most reservoirs in China were built during the 1950s and 60s, and many are classified as aging reservoirs with safety risks. Well-known water resources expert Wang Weiluo said that China now has nearly 100,000 reservoirs. He said, to put it mildly, three-quarters of them are unsafe. Many reservoirs have exceeded their designed lifespan, but have not been dismantled. Instead, large amounts of funding are applied for every year to maintain and expand them. In recent years, even though 1 trillion yuan has been spent annually on repairs, the results have been ineffective. The overall number of poor-quality reservoirs continues to rise, and the risks continue to increase. As the two major reservoirs in Putian release large amounts of water, villages and towns downstream were left submerged. Affected resident Ms. Chen told overseas New Tang Dynasty television that whenever heavy rain comes, residents worry about reservoir discharge. She said, people here are scared of flooding. Those who can afford it have bought homes in the city and moved there. Another resident said, when there is heavy rain with water this high, our house gets flooded. The entire row of houses is like this, and the nearby ones are the same. They've been flooded many times. We're afraid, but we don't have money to buy a house. It's too difficult. We don't have many valuable things at home. The refrigerator and washing machine were damaged by the flooding. Diantou Town in Ningde, Fujian Province was one of the hardest-hit areas. From September 1st to 2nd, severe flooding swept through the town. Muddy water carrying debris surged through the streets, and multiple vehicles were washed away by the current. Fuding City is a major production area for Chinese white tea, while Diantou Town is known as the number one white tea town in China. On September 4th, the aftermath of the flood left the area in ruins. Entire streets were covered with nearly 20 inches of yellow mud and silt, piles of discarded tea boxes, water-damaged furniture, and broken appliances lined the roadside. Large quantities of tea were completely soaked and ruined. Electric scooters and cars were tilted and trapped in the mud. Goods from store shelves were scattered across the floor. Several affected residents posted videos describing their feelings. Look, this is the reality right in front of us. It's heartbreaking. Do you see it? One car after another, vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of yuan are all submerged in water. It really hurts. It's not just a little pain. Look around. The whole street is full of cars, big ones and little ones, everywhere. It's like this. The bridges over here are all broken. Not a single tree is left in our garden. The transformer room was washed away and the ground underneath the factory buildings has been hollowed out. Everything's turned into this. I went through so much hardship this afternoon before I finally made it to my relative's factory. When I saw this scene, it was truly shocking. How could your heart not hurt? This was a lifetime of hard work, and it disappeared overnight. Do you know how painful it is to see this? I just went to my brother's shop. This time, my brother lost more than 1 million yuan. It's truly devastating. The tea has already been packed and was ready to be shipped out, but in an instant, it was all swept away by the flood. He's still in Taiyuan and hasn't returned yet. This is my sister's home. It's beyond heartbreaking. A large number of tea shops and storage warehouses in Diantou were flooded. According to preliminary official estimates, the disaster caused about 330 million yuan in direct economic losses across Fuding, with industrial losses in Diantou alone approaching 200 million yuan. It is worth noting that so far, although Chinese state media have acknowledged that multiple people are missing, authorities in Fujian still have not released specific figures for deaths or missing people. Information circulating online says hundreds of homes have collapsed in Fujian alone, and the number of missing people is difficult to determine.