Passengers on the Zhengzhou city subway shared images on social media of the torrents that were formed in the underground transport system by the powerful rains that occurred in central China and that have already claimed at least 25 lives.
The videos show subway users trapped in wagons with
waist-deep water
.
The tunnels through which the train rails run became veritable rapids from which people hurried away for fear of being swept away by the current.
Entire neighborhoods were submerged at least three feet after heavy rains in this city in Henan province on the banks of the mighty Yellow River.
At least 25 people have been reported dead so far (authorities did not elaborate on the circumstances in which they died),
and
more than 10,000 residents have been evacuated,
according to the state news agency Xinhua News.
Subway service was suspended and emergency services descended into the tunnels to rescue the trapped people.
Many roads were also closed and dozens of flights were delayed or canceled.
To the north of the city, a famous Shaolin temple renowned for the martial arts skills of its Buddhist monks was hit hard by the rains.
Amid the chaos,
some people had to spend the night at their workplaces
or stayed in hotels to avoid driving through flooded avenues.
Floods in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, on July 20, 2021 Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Wang Guirong, 56, a restaurant manager, said he planned to sleep on the sofa at his business after he was informed that there was no electricity in his neighborhood.
"I have lived in Zhengzhou my whole life and I have never seen a storm as strong as it is today,"
said Wang.
[Images of the serious floods in Europe: there are more than 180 dead]
The Zhengzhou state power company reported that a substation in the city center had to stop operating due to heavy rains.
Parts of central China tend to flood in the summers, but the growth of cities and the conversion of farmland into suburbs have compounded the problem in recent years.
With information from NBC News and The Associated Press
.
