Directly hit the flood scene in Leshan, Sichuan: the "toe" of the Leshan Giant Buddha was flooded due to serious waterlogging in the urban area

　　China News Service, Leshan, Sichuan, August 18th, title: (First scene) Directly hit the flood scene in Leshan, Sichuan: the "toe" of the Leshan Giant Buddha was flooded due to serious waterlogging in the urban area

　　Author Yue Yitong Wang Peng

　　At the confluence of the Dadu River, Qingyi River, and Minjiang River, the water is surging, and the sound of the water is deafening. Muddy floods flowed past the "toes" of the Leshan Giant Buddha with tree branches. Looking along the line of sight of the Buddha, I saw that the land of Fengzhou Island in the center of the river was almost completely submerged.

　　On the afternoon of the 18th, the reporter saw a shocking scene of the flood crossing in the scenic area of ​​Leshan Giant Buddha in Sichuan. This is the first time that Leshan Giant Buddha has been flooded to its "toes" since 1949.

At 5 o'clock on August 18th, the Sichuan Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters launched a Class I flood control emergency response, which was the first time in the history of the province. Affected by heavy rains and upstream floods, the water levels of Leshan Minjiang River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River rose rapidly, and the Leshan Giant Buddha's foot platform was flooded again, and the flood water had overflowed the toes of the Buddha's feet. Photo by China News Agency reporter An Yuan

　　Since mid-August, many places in Sichuan have experienced continuous heavy rain. The province launched the first level I flood control emergency response in history on the 18th. Affected by the superposition of local rainstorms and heavy rainfall in the upper reaches of the area, the Qingyi River and the Leshan section of the Minjiang River have exceeded the warning and water level. On that day, the peak discharge of the Jiajiang Hydrological Station on the Qingyi River reached 18,100 cubic meters per second, the largest flood in history. At 14:00 on the 18th, the peak flow of the Wutongqiao Hydrological Station on the Minjiang River reached 38,000 cubic meters per second.

　　At about 12:30 that day, the reporter drove close to Leshan City, and the Qingyi River was on the side of the expressway. I saw that the first floor of many houses on the shore was completely flooded. In the muddy flood, some trees only exposed the canopy. In Jiufeng Town, near the Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area, the town’s highway has been flooded, and several water rescue fire trucks dragged the assault boat across the water.

On the evening of August 17, Leshan City in Sichuan encountered heavy rainfall again. Affected by torrential rains, the Leshan River Basin of the Qingyi River has over-alarm and over-preserved water levels. The picture shows that rescue forces such as firefighting, armed police, and militia rescued the trapped people after the danger occurred. Photo by Hu Jiayan

　　At about 15 o'clock, the reporter entered the Leshan Giant Buddha scenic spot. The scenic spot did not see the lively scene of the past, and the chanting of the monks in Lingyun Temple echoed far. Jiang Rong, who works at a restaurant in the scenic area, said: "There were still many tourists in the scenic area a few days ago. The restaurant was basically full every day. Since the rainstorm hit, there have been fewer and fewer people."

　　The Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest carved stone sculpture of China in the Tang Dynasty, is still sitting at the confluence of the three rivers. The reporter looked down at the Buddha's head platform and saw that the flood had reached the "toe" of the Buddha. The Buddha's foot platform was completely submerged, and only the roof of the pavilion on the side was exposed.

　　According to Liu Junming, deputy director of the Wuyou Police Station of the Great Buddha Scenic Area Branch of the Public Security Bureau of Leshan City, continuous heavy rainfall caused the water level of the Sanjiang River to exceed the warning line many times, and the scenic area was officially closed on the 17th. On the 18th, the police station transferred and rescued hundreds of stranded tourists and surrounding residents.

The picture shows rescuers rescuing trapped persons. Photo by Hu Jiayan

　　A more serious danger occurred on Fengzhou Island opposite the Big Buddha. In the early morning of the 18th, 1020 people were trapped on an isolated island due to flooding. Subsequently, a number of rescue forces rushed to help. As of 21 o'clock that day, a total of 742 trapped people had been transferred.

　　Due to the confluence of the three rivers and the superimposition of floods, the flood control pressure in the central city of Leshan has increased sharply, and nearly 30% of the area has suffered serious waterlogging. At 18:00 that day, the reporter saw that many roads were impassable due to waterlogging. In severe areas, people were walking in the water below their thighs, and some people were dragging kayaks.

　　At about 20 o'clock, on Moruo Square in Leshan City, trapped people evacuated from Fengzhou Island were waiting in line for resettlement. In the crowd, police, firefighters, and militiamen came and went in a hurry. In the government auditorium of Shizhong District, Leshan City, staff members register information for the people, who will then be placed in a hotel temporarily, and doctors are also treating people who are unwell.

　　The Wanqiang family who lives on Fengzhou Island are waiting for resettlement. The two-story building of his house was half flooded, only some clothing was snatched out, and the rest of the property was flooded. Wan Qiang said that while waiting for rescue in the afternoon, his worries had turned into happiness. "The safety of the whole family is the luckiest thing." (End)