Two police missing while battling floods

Two police officers have gone missing after being sent to evacuate villagers from a flood-hit region of northeast China’s Jilin Province on Friday.

The two, Cao Zhiyu and Wang Yansong, fell from their moving vehicle into floodwater at around 2:40 a.m. Friday, while driving over a bridge in Antu County, Yanbian Korean Prefecture.

The men were returning from evacuating villagers after torrential downpours since Thursday night caused two rivers to flood threatening the safety of nearby villages, said Ding Weicai, deputy chief of the local police bureau.

As of Saturday noon, their vehicle had been retrieved, but Cao and Wang had not been located, Ding said.

“The two officers, both born in the 1990s, had just graduated and started working. They were both diligent workers. We will find them no matter how much it costs,” he said.