5 days ago
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
China ‘Bulldozer Hero' saves over 100 flood victims during heavy rain that lashes Beijing
A Beijing man has earned the nickname 'bulldozer hero' after he used his digger to rescue more than 100 people from heavy rainfall and floods.
China's capital and its neighbouring provinces suffered heavy rainfall in the past week, which reportedly took 30 lives.
Beijing Daily reported that the rainfall lasted 147 hours, during which the city received 40 per cent of its annual precipitation.
Wang Tianyu responded to a phone call for help, then picked up a friend to assist him on his way to flood-hit areas. Photo: handout
As the total amount of rain was increasing to more than 300 millimetres in Beijing's Miyun County, the government sent rescuers to evacuate residents.
On July 28, Wang Tianyu, the 35-year-old owner of a construction company, was woken up by a phone call from his friend, seeking his help to save his elderly family who were trapped in a village.
Wang immediately drove his company's bulldozer to the village and picked up his friend, street vendor Wang Chong, on the way.
Wang said the water level in the village was at least a metre high.
