On Saturday, August 13, a flash flood in the city of Pengzhou in Sichuan province killed seven people and injured eight.
Videos taken at the scene show how people were taken by surprise as the water burst down the mountain. Many people had set up tents and tables, enjoying playtime with families and friends by the shallow water.
The incident happened in the afternoon at the Longcao valley (龙漕沟) in the Longmen Mountain Scenic Area, a popular area for (domestic) tourism and day trips. Since it was a sunny Saturday, the area was particularly crowded with people playing, cooking, eating, and camping by the water.
As the flash flood came, not everybody initially seemed aware of how life-threatening the situation was. Some people still took the time to collect their belongings, taking their tents and chairs with them before leaving the scene (see videos in Twitter thread below).
What happened in Pengzhou yesterday is tragic, as 7 people were killed in a flash flood incident. A day later, online discussions focus on how the incident unfolded. Videos show some people still took time to gather their belongings and even attempted to take their tent. pic.twitter.com/ZsX6AggJ2x
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) August 14, 2022
Other videos show how some visitors were slow to respond or even ignored warnings given to them about the rising water levels.
Not all people could reach the river bank in time and some people, including children, were swept away by the speeding water. One particularly heart-wrenching video showed a father and his child trapped in the river and being dragged away by the strong water current (#男子在洪水中紧抱孩子#).
“Cherish Life, Don’t Go Down the River” Warnings Ignored
Earlier that day, at 14:37, a Longmenshan weather warning forecasted short periods of heavy rainfall in the area, increasing the risk of mountain floods, after which the local authorities immediately sent out patrol teams to the riverside to warn visitors to get away from the area.
The area around Longmen mountain and the Longcao valley have warning signs placed by Pengzhou authorities that people should not go down the river due to the risk of sudden mountain floods, especially in summertime.
Warning sign saying: “Cherish life, please don’t go down the river.”
Other photos show that some river bank areas are also fenced off to prevent day-trippers from playing at the river, with warning signs placed: “Prohibited to go down the river, cherish life, if you still go down the river, you must bear the consequences of your risky actions” (禁止下河 珍爱生命 私自下河 一切后果自负).
“Cherish your life, don’t go down the river, if you go down on your own accord, you should bear all consequences of your own risky actions.”
With hundreds of people around the area, it is clear that many warning signs were ignored. This seems to be a common occurrence, since the site is somewhat of a ‘social media hotspot’ (网红打卡点).
Chinese influencers and Xiaohongshu users often post photos of themselves having a BBQ and enjoying the water at the Longcao valley, letting their children swim in the mountain river.
Longcao valley is a ‘social media hotspot.’
At 15:30 on Saturday, less than hour after the initial weather warning, the area’s Xiaoyudong (小鱼洞) first saw a flash flood, and the people who were still at the mountain river were swept away by the water.
According to people who were at the scene, rescue vehicles had problems getting to the scene shortly after because the road was blocked by visitors’ cars.
One popular Weibo blogger called Wuwei Liye (@无为李爷) wrote that he firmly rejected the idea that local authorities should be held responsible for what happened: “They did all they could. Not only did they put up warning signs, they even put up fences (..) and later also shouted out to visitors that they should hurry and get out, but nobody paid attention to them.”
The blogger writes that social media is partly to blame for normalizing risky visits to the river bed and mountain river. “Irresponsible platforms and influencers wrongfully giving publicity to this should be held responsible.”
This stance is also reiterated by official media outlet Global Times (环球网). In a Weibo editorial, they blamed social media celebrities for hyping up Longcao valley despite the area being a fenced-off no-entry zone.
Photo via Baidu, showing visitors entering the area despite a warning sign and fences.
Global Times draws a comparison between the Longcao valley and other dangerous areas that are popular among social media influencers, such as a famous Qinghai road where they pose for pics despite the traffic, or a “starry sky” tunnel in Ningbo, where some risk their life for a pretty photo.
A road in Qinghai and a traffic tunnel in Ningbo are popular picture-taking spots for social media influencers, who risk their own safety and that of others for the perfect selfie.
Many other bloggers also think parents taking their children out to the river bed should also be blamed for their irresponsibility.
Photo showing people enjoying themselves in the Longcao area despite a warning telling them not to go into the river.
Meanwhile, one man who was at the scene is being praised on social media for his brave behavior. As one woman struggled to cross the river with the flash flood nearing, he went back to grab her and bring her to safety. A hashtag dedicated to the vigilance of the heroic man garnered over 140 million views on Weibo on Sunday (#彭州突发山洪黑衣男子逆行救人#)
On the afternoon of August 14th, Pengzhou again sent out a total of fifteen rescue teams for a third search and rescue operation. The rescue operation was rounded up by night time.
By Manya Koetse
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