STORY: Rescue teams in central and eastern China have successfully sealed a series of levee breaches caused by relentless rainfall and rising upstream water levels, state media CCTV reported on Sunday (August 16).

In Henan province, two breaches opened along the Qingyi and Jialu rivers on Thursday (August 13). Drone footage showed rescue crews working through the night across flooded farmland in Yanling County, where a drainage sluice gate was first washed out before the breach widened to more than 10 metres (33 feet). More than 300 rescue personnel and 40 pieces of heavy machinery were deployed. The breach was sealed on Friday (August 14) after three days and two nights of continuous operations, CCTV said.

In Zhoukou, aerial footage showed the Jialu River overflowing its banks and flooding a road bridge. Residents filled sandbags to protect nearby communities as emergency crews worked to contain the breach, which was sealed late on Friday.

Further east, in Deqing County in Zhejiang province, a local river breach occurred on Friday and was contained after an 11-hour operation. Night-time drone footage showed teams establishing emergency routes along the levee to provide safe passage for local residents.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: YANLING COUNTY, XUCHANG CITY, HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA (AIRED AUGUST 16, 2026) (CCTV - No use China)

1. (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF RESCUE TEAMS WORKING ON CONTAINING LOCAL RIVER BREACHES

2. VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF FLOODED FARMLANDS

ZHOUKOU CITY, HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA (AIRED AUGUST 16, 2026) (CCTV - No use China)

3. DRONE SHOT OF OVERFLOWING RIVER AREA BREACHING ROAD BRIDGE CROSSING

4. VARIOUS OF RESCUE TEAMS USING HEAVY MACHINERY, ROCKS TO CONTAIN BREACH AT RIVER BANK

5. TRAFFIC MOVING ON FLOODED ROAD

6. VARIOUS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS PREPPING SANDBAGS AND BARRIERS TO PREVENT FLOOD WATERS FROM BREACHING COMMUNITY AREAS

DEQING COUNTY, HUZHOU CITY, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA (AIRED AUGUST 16, 2026) (CCTV - No use China) (NIGHT SHOTS)

7. DRONE SHOT OF CONTAINMENT OPERATION UNDERWAY ON LEVEE

8. VARIOUS OF RESCUE TEAMS SEALING BREACH IN DYKE AND CREATING EMERGENCY ROUTES FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS