Shanxi Province: Flooding, Burst River Banks, and Landslides

(Minghui.org) Shanxi Province, known as Jin in ancient times, is known for its rich mineral resources and thriving agriculture. In this province, however, Falun Gong practitioners are being persecuted for their faith.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since July 1999.

According to a summary report by Minghui in August, between 2018 and 2020 alone, five Shanxi practitioners lost their lives to the persecution, 48 were imprisoned, at least 398 were arrested, and 249 were harassed for their belief in the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Traditional Chinese culture believes in the harmony of heaven, earth, and mankind. When elected officials and/or average citizens commit major wrongdoings, serious consequences might follow.

Since the beginning of October, 51 counties in Shanxi have been hit with non-stop rainstorms, resulting in abnormally high water levels in the Qin River, the Zhuozhang River, the Fen River, and elsewhere. The water levels in 27 reservoirs were over the flood stage, including Wanjiazhai and Zhangze.

In particular, water levels downstream in the Fen River in Xinjiang County were the highest in the past 40 years. At 5 p.m. on October 7, 20 meters of the northern bank of the Fen River in Xinjiang County blew out, flooding nearby farmland.

There have been numerous landslides in Jinzhong City, Luliang City, and Linfen City, leaving many people injured or dead. One landslide on the evening of October 5 buried five people, killing four of them, all traffic police officers on duty. Some roads in Pu County were also damaged.

The banks of the Wuma River gave way in multiple locations in Houma City, Qingxu County, and Qi County. Many villages were flooded, forcing 15,000 residents from eight villages to evacuate overnight.

On the morning of October 6, nine sections of the G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway collapsed. The Taichang Section of the G55 Erenhot-Guangzhou Expressway also collapsed. That same day, a parking lot in Hongdong County caved into a deep pit. Many vehicles fell in and the pit continued to expand. Rainwater filled the pit with water, and nearby residents began to evacuate.

The Yuanhe Bridge was also damaged on October 6, leaving rails and railroad sleepers hanging in the air. Ten trains were forced to stop.