China Reservoir Breach Leaves Villages Flooded as Residents Question Warning and Evacuation Efforts

A reservoir in southern China’s Guangxi Region suffered a serious structural emergency on July 6 after days of torrential rain caused by Typhoon Maysak, prompting evacuations and raising concerns among residents about flooding risks downstream.The Liulan Reservoir in Nanning’s Hengzhou city developed a large breach in part of its dam, according to Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency. Videos circulating online appeared to show large volumes of water rushing through a damaged section of the reservoir embankment and flooding nearby areas.Local authorities said several reservoirs, including Liulan, Yunbiao, Sancha, and Chayuan reservoirs, experienced dangerous conditions amid continued heavy rainfall, posing risks to communities downstream.The incidents drew widespread attention on Chinese social media, with related topics trending online.Residents who spoke to The Epoch Times said flooding in some downstream villages was severe, with some homes submerged and residents forced to shelter on upper floors or rooftops. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.Reservoir Began Emergency Discharge Before BreachAccording to Xinhua News Agency, Liulan Reservoir had begun releasing water before the breach occurred as local authorities attempted to manage rising water levels.The reservoir’s management station issued an initial notice saying that because of continuous rainfall, water levels were rising rapidly and flood-control discharge was scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. on July 5.A later emergency notice said rainfall exceeded forecasts and that water levels had risen more quickly than expected, prompting authorities to begin discharge earlier, at 8:30 p.m. on July 5.Residents later questioned whether warnings about the discharge and flooding risks had reached everyone in vulnerable areas.Widespread Flooding and Communication OutagesA resident familiar with conditions in Liuxiang Village in the flooded region told The Epoch Times that the Sancha Reservoir area also suffered a collapse-like failure and that downstream villages were affected.“The rain is still falling. No rescue has arrived, and there are no supplies,” the resident said. “I can no longer reach my family.”The resident said floodwaters submerged the first floors of homes and that power and water services had been cut. He added that it was unclear whether emergency discharge operations or other factors caused the damage.A second resident told The Epoch Times they were only able to contact relatives in the town center before losing contact due to power outages and depleted phone batteries. He said communities near Liulan Reservoir, including Yunbiao, Dongxu, and Xiaoyi townships, had been heavily affected.“The people suffering the most are those living downstream,” the second resident said. “Older residents may not know the danger is coming, and there was no time to notify everyone individually.”A third resident in Yunbiao Township described to The Epoch Times the aftermath of the widespread flooding.“The Liulan Reservoir failed. Everywhere looks like an ocean,” he said, adding that supermarkets and warehouses had been flooded and that many ground floors of homes were underwater.The third resident said flooding began around 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. on July 6, leaving little time for evacuation.“People could not get out because the water was too strong and too fast,” he said. “Many are staying on the second floors. There are shortages of supplies, but roads are blocked, and supplies cannot get in.”The third resident estimated that tens of thousands of people in his local Yunbiao Township had been affected, though the scale of the impact could not be independently verified.The Nanning Emergency Management Committee said in a statement via Xinhua News Agency that since July 4, much of the city had experienced heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving exceptionally intense precipitation.The committee said some rivers had risen rapidly and that several reservoirs had encountered serious safety risks, describing the flood-control situation as “severe.”Chinese authorities had not released casualty figures or a full assessment of property damage as of July 6. Rescue and recovery efforts were continuing in affected areas.Fang Xiao and Gu Xiaohua contributed to this report.