Over 15,000 evacuated after Typhoon Bavi triggers Hebei floods

More than 15,000 people have been evacuated after days of intense rainfall linked to Typhoon Bavi triggered flash floods in Kuancheng Manchu autonomous county, Hebei province, local authorities said on Tuesday.

Persistent rain since Friday, followed by a severe downpour on Sunday night, flooded nine villages across four townships, cutting roads, electricity, and communications, and leaving some residents stranded, according to the Chengde municipal government.

Authorities said 9,993 people were evacuated during an initial operation on Friday, followed by another 5,799 when the risk increased the next day, bringing the total to 15,792.

Of those evacuated, 2,568 are being housed at seven temporary shelters, where essential supplies, medical care, food safety checks, and regular disinfection have been arranged.

More than 1,900 emergency workers, police officers, firefighters, construction personnel, and volunteer rescuers were deployed, along with 120 pieces of heavy machinery, inflatable boats, and large drones.

In Xibingjiao village, floodwater reached about two meters and entered every home, China Central Television reported on Monday. Village officials and volunteers went door to door to wake residents and urge them to evacuate. Some climbed onto rooftops after water rushed into their homes, the report said.

Rescue teams later entered the village with inflatable boats and used infrared-equipped drones to search for residents. All 432 permanent residents were transferred to a nearby school serving as a temporary shelter, it added.

In Sanyijing village, where roads were cut off, rescuers trekked into mountain communities to evacuate residents on Monday.

"They went up at about 8:50 am," villager Li Guiping told Hebei Television. "There were around 10 of them, and they rescued the elderly first."

Li Wei, a village official, said 72 people were evacuated on Sunday night, with another 25 moved to safety in two groups on Monday.

Another resident, Zhang Xuechuan, said rescuers carried his relative, who had suffered a brain hemorrhage, out on a stretcher. "I am very grateful," he said.

Nine of 17 blocked road sections have reopened, while seven of 21 sites affected by landslides, mudflows, and debris have been cleared.

Power has been restored to 24 of 51 affected villages, while repairs to damaged mobile base stations and fiber-optic cables are ongoing, authorities said.