Rescuers risk life, drive heavy trucks to block floodwater

A truck full of big stones falls into the turbulent at the breach of a dike in Huarong county, Central China's Hunan province, on July 10, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Rescuers have risked their life and limb driving trucks weighted down with big stones into turbulent water in an attempt to block floodwater after a dike in Central China's Hunan province breached around 11 am on Sunday.

A total of 10 trucks full of stones have been used to block the breach in Huarong county, and drivers had to jump and abandon ship, seconds before the vehicles were engulfed by the water. However, such efforts still failed to rebuild the dike.

Local authorities have relocated around 27,000 local residents in the Xinhua flood detention basin that covers 4,400 hectares.

According to authorities, the water level of the river has dropped about one meter at the breach on Monday, and an initial plan has been made to reinforce the breach that has expanded to tens of meters.