Online sales of safety hammers soar

Saturday's heavy rains and flooding have left many Beijing residents worried about how they might escape from a submerged car and prompted online sales of safety hammers.

Such concerns began to arise after a man found himself unable to escape from a car and died after the car became waterlogged under the Guangqumen Bridge in Beijing and died. The vehicle's automatic windows had ceased working under water, leading him to try in vain to break them.

To prevent such deaths, residents, police authorities, automobile companies and media have begun using the Internet to distribute information about techniques drivers can use to get out of such situations.