Paralyzed county working to restore order

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By CGTN's Yang Jinghao

About 10 days after the invasion of torrential rains, Yongji County in northeastern China's Jilin Province is battling with the mess left behind, trying to restore normal life as soon as possible.

Rescuers are repairing the paralyzed railway in Yongji County. /CGTN Photo

The small county, about 100 kilometers from the provincial capital city of Changchun, suffered two rarely-seen storms within just one week. The one on July 13 caused 18 deaths, according to local government, with another 18 still missing. Then another one on Wednesday further battered the weather-beaten town, with no casualties reported.

A village in Yongji County was badly hit by the floods. Some houses have collapsed. /CGTN Photo

A large number of houses have been inundated, or even collapsed. Massive sludge and debris can be seen all around – on the streets, in the residences and government buildings. Now, clearing these mud has come as the top priority for rescuers.

Public services were also severely crippled by the torrents. Almost all the power and water supply were cut off, the only railway was damaged, and even the county's biggest hospital did not escape the disaster. Now they are all under repairs.

Staff clears sludge in a pharmacy in Yongji County. All the medicines and shelves have been swept away by the flood. /CGTN Photo

Local authorities say more than 110,000 people have been evacuated during the two rainstorms. Now, more than 2,000 people are living in four schools of the county used as temporary shelters. They are provided with meals, bottled water and basic medical service there.

The Yongji County Hospital was submerged. The operation there has been suspended and all major medical equipment were destroyed. /CGTN photo

This is not the first time that Yongji County suffered such great blows. In July 2010, it was stricken by an even heavier rainstorm, which resulted in huge economic losses. With no more rains being forecasted during the following days, the relocated residents wish they could return to their homes soon.

A car was damaged by the rain-triggered floods. /CGTN Photo

The residents are also hoping that the local government can take some measures to enhance related infrastructures so that they can better resist the frequent floods.