STORY: Flood victims in Beijing return home
DATELINE: Aug. 5, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:08
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: SOCIETY
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of Koutou Village
2. various of flood victims returning
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): YU SUQING, Villager
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): WANG YULIAN, Villager
5. various of flooded scenes
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): DONG SHULAN, Villager
7. various of villagers volunteering
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): TANG SHUHONG, Villager
9. various of supplies
10. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): GAO XINGHONG, Village official
11. various of disaster relief actions
 
STORYLINE:
 
Flood victims from Koutou Village, Fangshan District of Beijing, returned to their homes on Saturday from relocation sites after the water receded.
 
About 120 people in the village, most of them elderly, had been transferred to safe places after torrential rains triggered severe floods in the area.
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): YU SUQING, Villager
"They say we can go back home. The weather is getting better, and I become homesick."
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): WANG YULIAN, Villager
"Everything was fine. We were taken good care of. We ate well and slept well. 
(What's the first thing you wanna do when you get home?) I want to make a big meal."
 
Beijing has, over the past few days, seen the heaviest rainfall since records began 140 years ago. 
 
Mentougou and Fangshan districts in southern and western Beijing were the hardest-hit areas in the national capital.
 
SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): DONG SHULAN, Villager
"After returning home, we'll clean up our own home, and then help to reconstruct the village. The bridge in our village was wide, with tall railings and streetlights on both sides. Unfortunately, it was damaged by the floods. We would like to thank the government for having transferred us timely."
 
Floods have cut off roads, washed away vehicles, and damaged infrastructures. Many villagers volunteered to help with the repair work. 
 
SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): TANG SHUHONG, Villager
"We want to do the repair work on our own. I guess the village officials are already too busy coping with the flood. We have several days off, so my husband and I can do the work. These are supplies allocated to us. They are instant noodles and mineral water."
 
SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): GAO XINGHONG, Village official
"After the flood water receded, we started to clean up the village, using five excavators, three forklifts, and four farm vehicles, to clean the main streets of the village. The next job is to register property damage, such as leaks, flooding and collapsed walls. We'll do some investigation and report the damages."
 
Over the past few days, central and local authorities in China have mobilized various resources at their disposal to accelerate disaster relief and reconstruction.
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)