In response to severe flooding in southern China, a new foldable, self-propelled pontoon barge has played a crucial role in rescuing thousands of people trapped by rising waters in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

One of the largest rescue operations occurred last week at the Guangxi Logistics Vocational and Technical College in Guigang, where more than 6,000 staff and students were isolated by floodwaters nearly 5 metres (16.4 feet) deep, according to state news agency Xinhua. Prior to the deployment of the barges, rescuers mainly used inflatable and assault boats, which could only evacuate small groups at a time, slowing the process.

From the night of Wednesday, July 8th to Thursday, July 9th, China Anneng Construction Group, a state-owned emergency rescue force, deployed three heavy-duty pontoon barges to the site. These vessels, approximately 60 metres long and 8 metres wide with a load capacity exceeding 60 tonnes, can transport over 500 people in a single trip, according to a post by China Anneng on Zhihu, China's Quora-like platform.

Equipped with their own propulsion systems, the fully loaded barges can reach speeds up to 10.8 km/h (6.7 mph). The deployment of these barges accelerated the evacuation, and by midday on Thursday, all students and teachers were safely on dry ground, reported state broadcaster CCTV.

This technology, described as part-boat and part-bridge, has become an effective rescue vehicle in the region's flood response efforts.

Sources