Focus Interview | Gathering Strength Through Storm | Auxiliary Police | Focus Interview

At present, the situation is still very serious due to the multi line operations of flood control and flood fighting and the frequent local rainstorm. The flood storage and detention areas in the Haihe River Basin, as well as the downstream rivers and the main stream of the Songhua River, continue to operate at high water levels, and the risk of danger to embankments due to prolonged soaking gradually increases. Although Typhoon Kanu has ceased its numbering, its aftermath will still bring strong rainfall to the northeast. The new round of rainfall in North China may also worsen the flood situation of some rivers, making the rescue and disaster relief environment more complex. Faced with the dangerous flood, rescue forces and villagers from all sides worked together to transfer the masses, build dams, rescue or self rescue, and compete with the flood for time and life.

On August 7th, due to consecutive days of rainfall, the Hailang River in Hailin City, Heilongjiang Province exceeded the warning water level. At 10:30 pm that day, the Mudanjiang Branch of the People's Armed Police Heilongjiang Corps received an order that the bridge leading out of Qishan Village in Changting Town on the bank of the Hailang River was washed down by floods, trapping 71 villagers.

Wang Zhongyu, the captain of the Mudanjiang Detachment of the Armed Police Heilongjiang Corps: After receiving the order, we immediately dispatched 30 troops, carrying assault boats and rescue equipment to the scene, and made every effort to complete the task of transferring trapped people.

At 12:30, the officers and soldiers arrived in Changting Town. Although there was still some distance from the rescue site, their arrival made the trapped villagers feel much more at ease.

Due to road damage, rescue vehicles were unable to reach Qishan Village directly. Rescue officers and soldiers had to unload rescue equipment such as assault boats and carry them on foot through the forest area to reach the Hailang River. The road in the rain is slippery and difficult to walk, coupled with heavy rescue equipment, the two kilometer road took almost an hour to walk. Seeing the villagers anxiously waiting on the shore, the rescue officers and soldiers quickly installed equipment and let the assault boat go into the water. But the water was turbulent, and only after the assault boat started did the officers and soldiers realize that it was almost impossible to drive directly to the opposite bank.

Liu Fei, Political Work Officer of the Mudanjiang Detachment of the Armed Police Heilongjiang Corps: At first, I tried several times but couldn't reach the opposite bank, which was very difficult. Later, I finally found the pattern, and the operators of the assault boat gradually became proficient in the flow rate of water. They walked a curve at an angle of almost 75 degrees before reaching the opposite bank of the river.

Finally arriving at the shore, rescue officers and soldiers organized the elderly, women, and children to board the ship and transport them in batches to the opposite shore. At three or four o'clock in the afternoon, the sky gradually darkened, the water flow became faster and faster, and the power and fuel of the assault boat were also about to run out. At this moment, the rescue team saw an elderly person with limited mobility in the crowd and quickly lifted him onto the boat.

Liu Fei, Political Work Officer of the Mudanjiang Detachment of the Armed Police Heilongjiang Corps: He was trapped there and had difficulty moving. He must have been very anxious. He couldn't speak and was very excited. The officers and soldiers carried him throughout the journey, holding his wheelchair. When he got on the assault boat, he shed tears and frequently saluted us.

With everyone's joint efforts, the old man was successfully transported to the opposite shore, but it is not yet safe enough here. After getting off the assault boat, the officers and soldiers carried the old man on their backs and carried a wheelchair to escort him to a safe location. After more than three hours of rescue, the armed police officers and soldiers successfully transferred all the trapped people in Qishan Village.

In the face of danger, there are always people who step forward, while others release a glimmer of hope and become the hope of others. On August 4th, it rained continuously for several days in Wen'an County, Langfang, Hebei Province, and the roads were flooded with deep water. At 3:22 am, the Traffic Police Brigade of Wen'an County Public Security Bureau received a report that a Shandong driver's car was stuck in the isolation zone on the road.

Wang Tong, auxiliary police officer of the Left Gezhuang Squadron of the Traffic Police Brigade of Wen'an County Public Security Bureau in Langfang City, Hebei Province: The driver said it's best for you to contact the local rescue team for me. We have communicated with the local rescue team, and they are all on the front line of rescue. We can only contact the crane for him.

After multiple coordination efforts, at 8:15 am, the rescue vehicle contacted by the traffic police brigade for the driver finally arrived at the scene. For the delayed rescue, the on duty auxiliary police officer Wang Tong immediately expressed his apologies. The body of the truck has tilted quite severely, with continuous traffic on the side. Wang unifies both directing traffic and organizing rescue operations. But due to the water depth and the tilting of the vehicle, the hook of the crane cannot be hung on the truck. Wang Tong and the crane operator failed several attempts.

Wang Tong, an auxiliary police officer from the Left Gezhuang Squadron of the Traffic Police Brigade of Wen'an County Public Security Bureau in Langfang City, Hebei Province: I negotiated with the crane operator on how to rescue the car. It couldn't be hung on the periphery because it was lying on this side and the crane hook couldn't even reach the position of the hook inside. I said I would go down and let's try hanging it.

So, Wang Tong crawled under the car and lay in the water. At this moment, cars continued to pass by on the road, and waves of water surged into the bottom of the truck, making it extremely difficult to hang the hook. Wang Tong crawled under the car twice and, with the cooperation of the crane operator, finally hung the hook onto the truck.

Wang Tong, auxiliary police officer of the Left Gezhuang Squadron of the Traffic Police Brigade of Wen'an County Public Security Bureau in Langfang City, Hebei Province: On the left side of the crane, after the car is lifted, let the driver fill the gas door on it and try walking outside. As a result, it was found that the left rear wheel of the truck was simply turning and not moving forward, while the right rear wheel remained stationary. I don't think the situation is good. Move a large stone from the south side of the road and place it under the wheels of the car. The inclination is not as strong anymore.

Wang Tong discussed with the crane master to try lifting the front of the vehicle first and then the rear of the crane. However, this required adjusting the position of the hook again, so Wang Tong crawled under the car again and hung the hook again.

Wang Tong, auxiliary police officer of the Left Gezhuang Squadron of the Traffic Police Brigade of Wen'an County Public Security Bureau in Langfang City, Hebei Province: After a successful attempt, we were particularly happy. We lifted the front wheels out and can now reach the road surface. Then we grabbed onto the back of the hook and hooked the other piece outside the road, so we rescued the car.

After being trapped for over 5 hours, the truck was successfully rescued. After bidding farewell to the truck driver, Wang Tong and his colleagues immediately returned to the front line of flood control.

In the current flood situation, some people move and go against the tide, while others prepare for the rain. As the flood receded, Yang Zhaowen, the Party branch secretary of Yonghe Village in Handian Town, Harbin City, was explaining the drainage work in the flooded area to the villagers. In early August, due to the impact of Typhoon Dussuri, a rare historical flood broke out in the Lalin River, causing great anxiety among the villagers of Gongchenghao Village, located in the low-lying and dangerous section of the lower reaches of the Lalin River.

Seeing that the flood had already flooded the surrounding villages, Yang Zhaowen, the village party branch secretary, organized the villagers to evacuate while leading the village committee to analyze the flood situation and discuss countermeasures.

Yang Zhaowen, Secretary of the Party Branch of Yonghe Village, Handian Town, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province: We must not wait for the water to come and get flooded. Later, when I checked the terrain and built a dam, if the water couldn't pass, we would win.

The successful village is located in the low-lying areas. If no embankments are built, floods will flow over from the high slopes, and it is certain that the village will be flooded. The idea of repairing the dam is good, but it requires occupying more than 30 acres of corn land in Ge Qingguo's country, and there is only one night before the flood arrives. No one thinks that the dam can be repaired in such a short time. Yang Zhaowen's proposal has been opposed by many villagers, including Ge Qingguo.

Ge Qingguo, a villager from Yonghe Village, Handian Town, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province: I feel it's impossible to build such a long dam overnight, about 600 meters long.

Yang Zhaowen, Secretary of the Party Branch of Yonghe Village, Handian Town, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province: I said stop talking, the flood is coming and it will soon flood my home. At that time, I calculated that if there was no water at four o'clock, we would definitely be able to finish the repair. I have also worked on machinery and know how much work a hook machine can do.

The flood was getting closer and closer, and Yang Zhaowen finally convinced the villagers. They were quick to persuade and rushed to build dams. It was a sleepless night, and everyone worked tirelessly for 13 hours until the dam was built. More than 6000 acres of farmland behind the dam and over 200 households in Gongcheng Village have been protected.

Ge Qingguo, a villager from Yonghe Village, Handian Town, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province: At least the village has been preserved. It's better not to have water in the village than anything else.

In fact, there is one in the village who has suffered greater losses than Ge Qingguo, and that is the village party branch secretary Yang Zhaowen's family.

Li Ying, a villager from Yonghe Village, Handian Town, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province: In order to protect over 6000 acres of land in Gongcheng Haotun and Housanjiazi, Secretary Yang abandoned his own millet land, which was all water.

Editor | Zhao Yuan, Mao Gengwei, Yang Yang, Li Xin

Camera | Peng Hailong

Editing | Zhang Wenqing

Planning | Yu Renshan