Quick thinking by a 55-year-old retired primary school teacher saved a crowd of people stranded on a roof in flooded Huilongba Town in Chongqing.

When the city was hit by its most severe rainstorm on record on July 17, Li Mingsu was moving merchandise in her store in Liangtanqiao Village to the second floor of her house for safety.

When she spotted dozens of people on the roof of a nearby house, she became alarmed that the flood could destroy the house. Li got her husband and son to use a ladder and rope to transfer all the trapped people to their house.

According to village head He Zuguo, the rescue operation saved 32 of the total of 57 villagers trapped by the flood.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2007)