Heavy rains have hit the catchment area of China's longest river, the Yangtse for days. Workers are now guarding the embankment around the clock to prevent it from being breached and causing widespread devastation.

In many stretches of the river, water levels have reached or surpassed danger warnings. According to national flood control authorities, by Tuesday afternoon, the water level in Jiujiang City in South China's Jiangxi province had topped the 20 meter warning level by three centimeters.

In China's largest fresh water lake, Jiangxi's Boyang Lake, the water has also passed the warning level and is continuing to rise. Local governments have organized teams to check and guard weak spots on embankments.