Flash Floods in Wulattouhou Banner, Inner Mongolia Have Claimed 10 Lives And Left 2 People Unaccounted For. Multiple Departments Have Launched A Thorough Search And Rescue Operation.

On the evening of August 16th, a sudden flash flood occurred in the Wugai Gou valley of Wuga Suimu in Wulaotouhou Banner, Baieryangtu City, Inner Mongolia. Thirteen people who were camping in the wild here unfortunately lost contact. The disaster came unexpectedly, shattering the tranquility of the night.
After the disaster occurred, the local authorities immediately took action. They immediately established a on-site command center. Departments such as emergency response, public security, fire department, natural resources, water conservancy, health and wellness, as well as the local military units and militia, totaling over 700 people, responded promptly, carrying mechanical equipment, and conducted a thorough search and rescue operation along the mountain flood gully and its downstream areas, racing against time and not letting go of any glimmer of hope.
As of 9 p.m. on August 17th, the rescue operation against time has reached a conclusion: 1 person was successfully rescued, 10 people tragically died, and 2 people are still unaccounted for. The search and rescue efforts are still ongoing under intense conditions. Journalists who arrived at the scene observed that the river was flowing gently, with mud and rocks scattered everywhere. Rescue vehicles were neatly lined up on the bridge, and large machinery was continuously operating to search for the missing persons.
It is known that from August 16th to 17th, Baian Nur City was hit by heavy rainfall. The maximum rainfall in 24 hours reached 201.4 millimeters, which is of the category of heavy rain. The strong precipitation triggered numerous flash floods at the river mouths, ultimately resulting in the danger of 13 people. The deputy director of the Emergency Management Bureau of Baian Nur City, Han Zhiqiang, said that this search and rescue operation was extremely difficult. The incident area is a mountainous region, and the location of the missing persons is difficult to determine. Only a large-scale, thorough search can be carried out; after the mountain floods, the scene compared to before has changed significantly, and relying on the original maps or image data may lead to errors, greatly increasing the difficulty of the search and rescue.
At present, Baian'ao'er City has initiated a level-III emergency response for flood prevention, meteorological disasters caused by heavy rain, and natural disasters. The meteorological department's forecast indicates that there will still be strong convective weather in the area in the near future. Relevant departments are closely monitoring changes in rainfall and water levels, and are making every effort to search for missing persons. At the same time, they are conducting a comprehensive inspection and rectification of potential safety hazards such as mountain flood gullies, reservoirs, and flood detention areas to prevent the occurrence of secondary disasters.