Flooding prompts evacuation of 141 residents in Zhengzhou zone

BEIJING, July 17 (Reuters) - Rescue workers evacuated 141 residents from a densely industrial district on the outskirts of Zhengzhou in central China, home to a giant iPhone plant, on Friday after heavy rain triggered flooding that state media said reached neck level in some areas.

• Multiple roads and villages in the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone were flooded, trapping some residents in their homes, on rooftops and atop their cars, state broadcaster CCTV said.
• Firefighters used an excavator to evacuate 80 residents in batches, with people standing in the excavator bucket, CCTV said.
• No casualties have been reported.
• Rescue teams also mobilised 21 boats to bring those trapped to safety.
• On Thursday night, Zhengzhou's municipal government issued an alert warning of torrential rain, potential flooding and mudslides.
• The economy zone developed around Zhengzhou International Airport in the Henan province is home to Foxconn's 2354.TW Zhengzhou plant, the world's largest iPhone manufacturing facility.
• In 2021, extreme rainfall and flooding claimed the lives of at least 292 people in Zhengzhou, including 14 who drowned in the city's subway system.