Thirteen drainage teams deployed for flood relief in Zhoukou

The Ministry of Emergency Management has deployed 13 emergency drainage teams to Zhoukou in Henan province to assist with floodwater removal in the urban area, the ministry announced on Sunday. The teams were mobilized from Henan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, and Hunan provinces.

These teams include personnel from the ministry's natural disaster engineering emergency rescue center, also known as China Anneng, eight national workplace safety emergency rescue drainage teams, and a mobile drainage team from Shaanxi. Additionally, emergency drainage teams from companies such as XCMG from Jiangsu, Jiaozuo Huayu Equipment Technology from Henan, and Changsha Dewater Mechanical Technology from Hunan were dispatched.

The 13 teams have a combined drainage capacity of about 220,000 cubic meters per hour, according to the ministry. All rescue teams arrived in Zhoukou by 9 am on Sunday and immediately began drainage operations.

A levee breach in Zhoukou was sealed on Saturday after more than 2,000 emergency personnel participated in the operation. The breach occurred at around 11 pm on Thursday along the Jialu River in Zhoukou and reached about 117 meters wide at one point, following heavy rain unleashed by Typhoon Dolphin.