BEIJING ( Associated Press) — Several people were swept away by a gushing stream of water from a dam in central China, and officials said many more were still missing Monday.
Two people died and 10 were rescued, including two who are still in hospital. The search operation was still on.
According to a statement from the Sanmenxia Municipal Office of Emergency Response, water rose rapidly before overflowing the Sanmenxia Dam in Henan province and sweeping away people gathered below to take photographs.
The incident was being investigated, according to the office, which recommended that visitors “pay attention to personal safety during the duration of the festivities.”
According to reports, it was estimated that the water behind the dam had risen by about 2 meters (6 ft) in 10 minutes.
The dam on China’s Great Yellow River was completed in the 1960s and had problems with siltation. This has caused flooding upstream, which has led to complaints about the design and management of the structure.
More than 2 billion movements are expected in China during a 40-day period around the New Year holiday last Sunday, after lifting strict “zero COVID” measures that have allowed people to travel for most of the past three years. prevent or discourage. years.
Last week, an avalanche swept away vehicles outside a highway tunnel in Tibet, killing at least 28 people. Many of the stranded people were on their way home for the holidays.
