Dam breach in Henan
After a dam breach on the Beiru River in Jiaxian County, Henan Province in central China, round‑the‑clock flood control and rescue efforts continue due to heavy rainfall and large‑scale water releases from upstream reservoirs. When a violent natural force breaks through a man‑made barrier, and water held back for years surges downstream, the lives of thousands hang in the balance. In central China's Henan Province, the Beiru River, swollen by relentless rain and reservoir discharges, breached a levee near Yuxi Village. Within hours, the gap widened to over forty metres, threatening to flood surrounding villages and farmland. However, the coordinated actions of rescuers, mobilising all resources – from boats to heavy machinery – enabled not only the evacuation of more than two thousand people but also a stand against the flood. Concrete poured into the breach under torrential rain became a symbol that human will and professionalism can defy even the most raging forces of nature.
The breach occurred on Wednesday evening in Yuxi Village, Changqiao Township, and initially measured over 40 metres in width. By 03:00 on Thursday morning, local authorities had evacuated 2,182 residents in two phases. No reports of trapped individuals or casualties were received. After the breach, rescue teams mobilised land, water and air resources to accelerate closure operations. On Thursday, more than 2,800 personnel, including armed police, firefighters and police officers, took part in the initial disaster response, using manual carrying, boats and machinery to deliver materials to the site. By Friday, rescuers had shifted to a more direct method of sealing the gap, pouring concrete into the opening. Concrete mixers were connected to pipelines to pump concrete to the front line for reinforcement and sealing. By Friday morning, the breach, about 47 metres wide and 8 metres deep, had been sealed for more than 20 metres, bringing the work halfway to completion.
The Beiru River, which flows through Jiaxian County, is a tributary of the Yellow River and is traditionally prone to flooding in the summer. The breached levee was built in the 1980s to protect farmland and settlements. The current incident has been exacerbated by extreme rainfall in the upper reaches and forced water releases from upstream reservoirs that had reached critical levels. Local authorities, having received warnings of possible overflow, began evacuations in advance, which helped avoid casualties. The rescue operation continues around the clock, and experts estimate that full repair of the breach will take several more days.
As CCTV+ reports, the heroic efforts of the rescuers and the seamless coordination of all services have prevented a humanitarian catastrophe, with work continuing to strengthen the levee and ensure the safety of residents in the surrounding areas.
