State-owned drone operator aids overnight flood rescue in Guangxi

After receiving an emergency request from the local traffic police, a low-altitude flight subsidiary of Guangxi Beibu Gulf Investment Group activated its emergency response and dispatched a technical team with large multirotor drones to the disaster area.

The drones used high-powered searchlights to illuminate flooded roads and villages, helping rescuers identify hazards and assess road conditions in darkness. Infrared thermal imaging cameras were used to search for stranded residents on rooftops and other elevated areas, while onboard loudspeakers broadcast evacuation instructions and safety alerts to affected communities, according to the company.

Live aerial footage was transmitted to the emergency command center and frontline traffic police, providing real-time information on floodwaters, inundated villages, and road conditions, it said.