Three Gorges Dam on alert as heavy rain and floods kill 6 in China

Floods have affected over 40,000 people and damaged crops on 1,800 hectares

The Three Gorges Dam, China’s largest, is on high alert as floods triggered by torrential rains wreak havoc in the southwestern part of the country.

Record rainfall in Chongqing has caused flooding in a dozen districts and counties since Thursday, raising the water levels in 29 rivers, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Six people have died in the region which has received over 250mm of rain, according to the Chongqing Hydrological Monitoring Station.

An aerial drone showed a township submerged in muddy waters.

Dianjiang county in Chongqing received 269.2mm of rain on Thursday, the highest in a single day ever.

The rains have affected over 40,000 people, forced the evacuation of several areas and damaged 1,800 hectares of crops, CCTV reported.

An aerial photo shows residents being evacuated from a flooded area in Dianjiang in southwestern China's Chongqing municipality on 11 July 2024 (AFP via Getty)

The rains and subsequent flooding have also disrupted operations at the Chongqing railway station, leading to the suspension of 26 train journeys on Thursday.

The Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Thursday raised the flood emergency response to level 3 in the four-tier response system in which level 1 is the most severe.

“As flood preparedness and response enter a critical period, we should strengthen warnings and monitoring and timely evacuate people in areas at risk of geological disasters,” Chongqing’s mayor, Hu Henghua, said on Thursday. “It’s better to be extra careful to prevent any potential losses.”

Rescue workers move residents out of a flooded area in Dianjiang, Chongqing (AFP via Getty)

Authorities are also facing challenges along the Yangtze river basin as the water level in the Three Gorges Dam reservoir has risen to 161.1 metres, the highest ever in July, according to China’s Ministry of Water Resources.

Heavy rainfall is anticipated in the upper reaches of the river over the next 10 days, with a new round of floods expected to flow into the reservoir around 16 July, Changjiang Water Resource Commission said.

A flood with a peak flow of 45,000 cubic metres per second is forecasted to enter the reservoir on Friday, and two other significant water surges are expected in mid-July.