Hundreds Rescued During 'Once-in-a-Century' Flooding in Zhengzhou, China

Severe once-in-a-century flooding in Zhengzhou, China, killed 12 people as of Wednesday, July 21, local media reported.

About 100,000 people had been evacuated from the city as infrastructure and transportation were impacted by floodwaters averaging 449 millimeters (approximately 1.5 feet), according to local news reports.

This footage released by Zhengzhou Fire Brigade shows overnight rescue efforts from July 20 into the early morning of July 21.

The first clip filmed on Tuesday shows firefighters from Longhai West Road in Zhengzhou’s Zhongyuan district at a local kindergarten where more than 150 students and teachers were trapped, the brigade wrote in a caption.

The second clip, at 0’28’’, shows firefighters reporting to the intersection of Zhengbian Road and Fengtai Road on Tuesday where a bus carrying 34 elementary school students, five teachers, and one driver had been trapped in floodwaters for hours, according to the brigade.

The third clip, at 0’41’’, shows about 100 bus passengers rescued at the intersection of Fushou Street and Zhengxing Street in Zhengzhou’s Erqi district on Tuesday, the brigade said.

The fourth clip, at 1’21’’, filmed during the early morning on Wednesday shows firefighters from Jingkai district dispatching search-and-rescue boats in Diehu district to save seven people, according to the brigade. Credit: Zhengzhou Fire Brigade via Storyful