In a gripping display of resilience amid nature's fury, an 8-year-old girl was rescued alive after being trapped for more than seven hours in a sewer pipe in Guizhou Province, southwestern China. The harrowing incident unfolded on Monday, June 23, 2025, when rushing floodwaters swept the girl into a drainage ditch as she attempted to retrieve a lost shoe. Clinging to a horizontal bar approximately 32 feet down inside the sewage pipe, she endured the pitch-black darkness and chilling cold with remarkable calmness and perseverance, according to firefighters involved in the rescue.
Despite being soaked from head to toe, the girl emerged without any obvious serious injuries, a testament to her extraordinary courage. Authorities praised her bravery, with a statement noting, “This first-grade girl fought against the pitch-black darkness, coldness and constant fear with amazing calmness and perseverance. We give a thumbs-up to this brave girl.”
Her rescue is a rare beacon of hope amid the devastating floods that have ravaged southern China since mid-June. Heavy rains since June 17, 2025, have battered the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Hubei, triggering widespread flooding that has submerged towns and villages, collapsed infrastructure, and displaced tens of thousands of residents.
By Thursday, June 26, at least six people had lost their lives due to the relentless downpour, with more than 80,000 people evacuated from their homes across the affected regions. In Guizhou’s Rongjiang County alone, the floods have been described as a "once-in-50-year event," with water levels surging rapidly, peaking at 11,360 cubic meters per second in several rivers.
Rongjiang, a county-level area with limited resources, has faced significant challenges. Floodwaters have submerged low-lying areas, including a football field beneath three meters of water, and caused severe damage to infrastructure, resulting in blocked roads, communication disruptions, and stranded residents. Emergency response teams continue to work tirelessly to rescue trapped individuals, clear silt, disinfect affected zones, and pump water from flooded neighborhoods.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has allocated 100 million yuan (approximately $13.95 million) to support disaster relief efforts in Guizhou Province. This fund aims to restore vital infrastructure such as roads, flood control systems, hospitals, and schools. An additional 100 million yuan has been earmarked for Guangdong and Hunan provinces to aid in the restoration of normal production and living order.
Guizhou activated a Level-III emergency response for meteorological disasters on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, as fresh rains continued to batter the region. Although water levels have dropped below warning thresholds in some areas, many low-lying zones remain submerged, and the damage to infrastructure is extensive. Power has been restored to some streetlights and community facilities, and water services have resumed in certain buildings’ lower floors.
Neighboring provinces such as Guangxi, Yunnan, and Sichuan also remain on high alert for secondary disasters, including road collapses, landslides, and hydro-dam overflows. Videos released by state media depict rescuers carrying residents to safety and using boats to navigate flooded streets. In Guangxi, a tropical depression was expected to make landfall on Thursday night, June 26, potentially complicating ongoing restoration and cleanup efforts.
Earlier in June, Typhoon Wutip brought torrential rain and severe flooding to parts of Guangdong Province, prompting a Level-IV emergency response. The current tropical depression, which made landfall on Hainan Island on the morning of June 26, is forecasted to move across the South China Sea towards Guangdong, gradually weakening but still posing risks to flood-affected areas.
China’s government has allocated a total of 300 million yuan (approximately $41 million) in disaster relief funds for severely affected areas, underscoring the scale of the crisis. At least 20 rivers across the country have seen floods exceed warning levels, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.
The floods have also impacted central and southern provinces beyond Guizhou, with tens of thousands evacuated in Hunan Province and other regions. Chinese authorities issued the first red alerts of 2025 last week for mountain torrents in six regions—the highest level in the country’s four-tier alert system. These warnings reflect the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events attributed to climate change, which experts say exacerbates the risk of floods and other natural disasters.
Chen Xiaoguang, a professor at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu, highlighted the particular vulnerability of rural areas like Rongjiang. “Rural areas face significant challenges due to limited infrastructure and resources,” he said. “Strengthening these systems in rural counties will be key to reducing the long-term impact of increasingly severe weather.”
Amid the chaos, stories of human endurance stand out. One resident recounted waiting on the third floor of a flooded building before being safely evacuated, while a truck driver named You Guochun shared his terrifying experience of being left dangling over the edge of a collapsed bridge. “A bridge collapsed entirely in front of me,” he said. “I was terrified.”
Rescue teams have employed drones to deliver supplies such as rice to stranded flood victims, showcasing the blend of technology and human effort in disaster response. Authorities continue to warn residents to stay alert for secondary hazards like landslides and road collapses as waters recede.
These events underscore the urgent need for enhanced disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience in China’s vulnerable regions. With climate change driving more frequent and severe weather extremes, the country faces mounting challenges in protecting its population and maintaining stability in affected communities.
As the floodwaters slowly begin to recede, the focus shifts to recovery and rebuilding. The resilience demonstrated by the young girl trapped in the sewer and countless others caught in the floods serves as a poignant reminder of human strength in the face of adversity. Yet, the road ahead remains fraught with challenges, as authorities and communities strive to restore normalcy while preparing for future storms that climate scientists warn will only grow more intense.
