Driver left dangling over edge of a bridge after massive landslides in China
Katie Boyden
A lorry driver has been rescued in China after flooding caused by heavy rain left his vehicle dangling over a chasm.
The country is facing major flooding, with at least six people dead and tens of thousands evacuated from their homes.
Local media says the south west region of China has seen ‘once-in-30-years’ rainfall, with heavy rain over higher ground leading to already swollen rivers bursting their banks.
And the situation could get worse as a tropical cyclone made landfall today.
Firefighters in Guizhou province had to rescue a lorry driver who was trapped in the cabin hanging precariously over a chasm, after the heavy rainfall caused landslides and damaged roads and a major bridge.
Incredible footage captured the moment the driver opened his door and spoke with a concerned passerby who said he was ‘lucky’ to not be swept away with the collapsing bridge. The driver was rescued unharmed.
An aerial photo shows flooded buildings in Rongjiang, in China's southwest Guizhou province on June 24, 2025. Severe flooding in China's southwestern province of Guizhou has forced more than 80,000 people to flee their homes, Beijing's state media said on June 25. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
Rongjiang has seen severe flooding with tens of thousands displaced (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
A young girl who had been trapped in a drain for seven hours was also rescued by firefighters. She was thankfully unharmed.
So far 80,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, some rescued from as high as the third floor due to rising waters.
The flooding kicked off in Rongjiang on Tuesday. Located at the meeting point of three rivers, the city was hit by flooding on a scale Chinese meteorologists say could only happen once in 50 years.
One section of the Liu river was recorded as flowing at more than 80 times its average speed, moving at 11,800cubic metres per second.
Local hotels are housing both evacuated residents and rescue personnel and reconstruction workers.
Video from state television showed rescuers in lifejackets rowing rafts through deep floodwater to help the elderly or infirm evacuate.
Others were seen swimming through the murky water with life rings under their arms, pushing inflatable pools containing belongings or even young children.
Authorities have brought in huge pumps to clear water from subways and shopping malls, with clothing and other items left floating in the muddy water.
Business owners were seen trying to clear debris and thick mud smothering their premises.
The Guangxi township of Meilin is one of the worst hit areas. Floodwaters reached more than 13ft (4metres) above safe levels at their peak.
Experts have warned rural areas will face ‘significant challenges’ due to limited infrastructure and resources to manage or prevent flood damage.
And the clean-up effort will likely be hindered as a tropical depression made landfall earlier on Thursday, only a couple of weeks after Typhoon Wutip killed at least five people.
Chinese meteorologists said the current system isn’t expected to strengthen into another typhoon, but it could still bring disruptive rain across densely populated areas.
It comes as the Chinese National Meteorological Center issued heat alerts in northern parts of the country earlier this week, with temperatures reaching highs of 38°C in Beijing.
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