China floods: rail passengers tell of rising water and last goodbyes

For those trapped in submerged underground trains as Tuesday’s horror unfolded in Zhengzhou, it was a life-and-death matter of keeping their heads above water in the hope that help would arrive.

The rare torrential rain that began on Saturday has claimed at least 13 lives and relocated 100,000 people in Henan’s provincial capital in central China. The cumulative rainfall in the past three days is close to a normal year’s worth for the city, and has paralysed its transport system. Many cars were flipped on flooded roads, while ground-floor shops and flats were swamped.