Flood traps 100 in NW China school

Over 100 middle school students and teachers are trapped in their school following a flash flood that occurred Wednesday in the city of Tianshui in northwest China's Gansu Province, local authorities said Thursday.

The Maiji Junior Middle School became isolated after a rainstorm washed away the only bridge linking the school, which is located in a mountainous area, to the outside, the provincial education department said.

Local authorities are working to set up a temporary bridge to rescue the trapped students and teachers.

Another 28 schools in the city were affected by the rain.

The Lanzhou Central Meteorological Station issued a red alert for continuous rain in Gansu on Thursday, adding that there is a high risk of rainstorm-triggered floods and geological disasters.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red alerts issued for the most serious weather conditions, followed by orange, yellow and blue.