Firefighters rescued more than 52 civilians stranded in flood water triggered by a rainstorm on Sunday, in Zhumadian city, central China's Henan Province.[Photo: cntv]

Firefighters rescued more than 52 civilians stranded in flood water triggered by a rainstorm on Sunday, in Zhumadian city, central China's Henan Province.

The torrential rain that started on Sept. 27 brought an average rainfall of 85 millimeters in Zhumadian and more than 185 millimeters in some of its areas.

As the rain flooded the first floor of a three-storey residential building in Yicheng District on Sunday morning, 12 people, including three children, escaped to the second and third floors and waited for help.

It took one hour for 18 firefighters to evacuate all the people and get them to safe areas, by using ropes and inflated rubber dinghies.

Earlier in the day, rescue workers also evacuated more than 40 senior citizens from two nursing homes, in Runan and Queshan counties.