By South China Morning Post | Created at 2026-07-28 03:24:26 | Updated at 2026-07-28 05:28:10
2 hours ago
The Chinese government has appealed to the public for clues as part of its investigation into a reservoir dam that collapsed in southern China
earlier this month, causing heavy casualties.
State media reported on Monday that the public was invited to submit information related to the collapse of the Liulan Reservoir in Hengzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on July 6 via a dedicated telephone hotline.
People also have until August 15 to post submissions to an investigation and assessment work group from the State Council, China’s central government, according to a report in Guangxi Daily.
The purpose of the investigation is to “fully reconstruct the sequence of events, determine the causes of the disaster, examine shortcomings and responsibilities in disaster prevention, emergency response and rescue efforts, and draw lessons to help prevent similar incidents”, the team said.
Similar public appeals have been made during previous State Council investigations into disasters and industrial accidents that have caused heavy casualties and sparked widespread public concern.
Hundreds evacuated as heavy rains cause dam to collapse in Guangxi region
Precedents include the 2021 floods in Zhengzhou, provincial capital of Henan in central China, which killed more than 300 people, and – more recently – the gas explosion at the Shenyu coal mine in Shanxi province in May, the country’s most severe mining accident in more than a decade, which left 82 of its workers dead.
