Dike breach in Putian floods village, missing people reported

Missing people have been reported, and more than 100 houses have collapsed after a section of a dike breached in a village in Putian, Fujian province, according to Xinhua News Agency on Friday.

The dike breach occurred at around 3 pm on Thursday near Putian's Xihu village, after days of heavy rainfall brought by Typhoon Saudel. Floodwaters spilled into nearby villages and industrial parks, inundating homes and leaving some residents stranded, Xinhua reported. So far, 171 residents of 52 households have been relocated.

As of noon on Friday, the latest round of heavy rainfall was still ongoing in Putian. The local meteorological authority's Level I rainstorm warning, the highest in China's four-tier warning system, remained in effect.

The authority also forecast torrential to exceptionally heavy rain during the daytime Friday, followed by scattered showers or thunderstorms in the afternoons from Saturday through Tuesday.

Rescue workers are working to relocate stranded residents. In Chengxiang district, 1,261 people have been relocated, and 30 emergency shelters have been opened. Emergency crews have been mobilized to deal with flooding at five road sections, while two drainage pumping stations have pumped out more than 5 million cubic meters of water.

Recently, floods have affected several parts of Fujian, including Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Ningde, and Putian, following the heavy rainfall brought by typhoons Gaenari and Saudel.

The National Development and Reform Commission has allocated an additional 100 million yuan ($14.86 million) in central budget investment to support emergency recovery efforts in disaster-hit areas of Fujian and help restore production and daily life, China Central Television reported.