On July 5, the first-line embankment of Dongting Lake in Tuanzhouyuan, Huarong County, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, burst its embankment, and the news was like a thunderclap that shook the whole of China. The width of the embankment mouth has expanded rapidly from the initial 10 meters to 220 meters, the average water depth in the embankment is about 5 meters, and the inundation area has reached 47.64 square kilometers. In the face of this sudden natural disaster, the official expects to complete the sealing of the embankment of Dongting Lake in 6-7 days, which is not only a test of engineering technology, but also a challenge to the will of rescuers.
Before the levee burst, the water level of Dongting Lake was already high due to continuous heavy rainfall. At 16 o'clock on July 5, there was a pipe gushing danger on the first-line embankment of Dongting Lake in Tuanzhou, and the local government quickly activated the emergency plan and organized experts and rescue teams to carry out emergency blocking. However, due to the turbulent current and high erosion force, the plugging attempt at 17:48 ended in failure, causing the embankment to burst.
Immediately after the levee burst, the Hunan Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Office held a press conference to inform the handling of the danger of the breach and activated the highest level of emergency response. Rescuers quickly assembled, and more than 2,300 rescuers and more than 160 assault boats were urgently dispatched to the scene to launch a rescue operation in a race against time.
The challenge of containment is enormous. First of all, the water flow at the mouth of the embankment is extremely fast, which brings great difficulties to the plugging operation. Secondly, the width of the embankment mouth expands rapidly in a short period of time, which increases the difficulty of plugging. In addition, due to the small water level difference between Dongting Lake and the wall, the plugging operation needs to be carried out under the condition that the water level is basically the same, which requires rescuers to accurately grasp the timing.
In order to ensure the smooth progress of the plugging work, Hunan Province and Yueyang City urgently allocated 55,600 tons of stones from surrounding counties and cities to plug the breach. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management urgently allocated 540 million yuan of central natural disaster relief funds to support local governments in flood relief, geological disasters and forest fires.
While the containment work is underway, the safe evacuation of the affected people is also an important part of the rescue operation. According to CCTV News, as of 12 o'clock on July 6, 5,755 people have been safely resettled, and there have been no casualties. Behind this number is the tireless efforts of countless rescue workers and the efficient organization of local governments.
With the continuous advancement of the plugging work, the drop between the water level inside and outside the breach is gradually narrowed, which creates favorable conditions for the plugging operation. According to experts, if the water level drop continues to narrow, the plugging operation will begin as soon as the afternoon of the same day. This news undoubtedly brings a glimmer of hope to all those who are concerned about the bursting of the Dongting Lake's embankment.
The closure of the breach of the Dongting Lake is a challenging battle, which tests everyone's courage and wisdom. From early warning and response to rescue and blocking, every step has condensed the efforts of countless people. We hope that within 6-7 days, the official estimate of Dongting Lake will be successfully blocked, so that this ancient lake can be restored to its former tranquility and beauty. At the same time, this incident also reminds us that in the face of natural disasters, prevention and preparedness are always more important than rescue. Let us pay attention to the safety of Dongting Lake, pray for the blessings of the people there, and praise the rescuers.