Guangxi relief efforts in full swing

Volunteer drone pilots, commercial operators and professional rescue teams are helping deliver food, medicine and other essential supplies to flood-hit communities in Hengzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, as damaged roads and inundated villages complicate relief efforts.

Heavy rainfall triggered by Typhoon Maysak caused reservoir breaches and widespread flooding on Monday, leaving some villages inaccessible by road and prompting emergency responders to expand the use of drones for supply deliveries.

Among those answering the call was Wang Guijun, a volunteer drone operator specializing in agricultural operations and cargo transport using heavy-lift drones. After seeing news of the flooding online, he traveled to Changtang village in Xiaoyi township on Tuesday to join other volunteer pilots supporting relief operations.

Since then, he has flown dozens of supply missions each day, delivering food, drinking water and other necessities to isolated communities.

"The floodwater has receded, but thick mud still blocks the village roads," Wang said. "We can only deliver supplies to the villages by drone."

Drone deliveries have become an integral part of broader relief efforts as local authorities work to reach communities cut off by flooding.

In Zhenlong township, where landslides, flooded roads and safety risks around the Liulan Reservoir disrupted transportation, emergency responders maintained contact with isolated communities via satellite phones while sending staff members and volunteers on foot to assess damage and identify residents' needs.

The local emergency command center adopted a relay distribution system, transporting relief supplies by truck to a primary school before volunteers carried them to stranded villages. About 40 staff members and volunteers are taking part in the operation to help meet residents' basic needs.