A flood in Shalan town, Heilongjiang Province of China caused the death of 200 students. The parents of the flood victims believe the deaths were preventable.

The victims’ parents wrote demands on white paper with black ink full of rage and sorrow. Then they knelt as one in the middle of a road crying out that their sons and daughters died unjustly. It was a result of the irresponsibility of the town government and the police department. Some town people point directly to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and further criticize Central Chinese Television (CCTV)’s inaccurate reporting.

As of today, the official stories still claim the incident was a natural disaster, the result of the heaviest rainstorm in two centuries which caused a fatal mudslide; no mention is made of human error. According to reports, the townspeople claim that they were never given advance warning as the river reached flood stage. Local reports say the reason for the flood was the lack of repair to the Hesheng Dam on the upper Shalan river, which collapsed under pressure. Another theory is that the dam did not release the floodwaters due to lack of warning. The official media report on the aftermath said on June 15 that the government was reinforcing the monitoring of the Hesheng Dam on the upper Shalan river and would also monitor precipitation levels.

According to Hong Kong Cable TV and Apple Daily reporting, the flood death toll may rise to more than 200.

The victims’ parents displayed banners asking, “Give us the truth,” “Give us the facts,” and “Give us our kids back.” Then they knelt as one in the middle of the road. Some refugees and relatives of the flood victims caused huge traffic jams, resulting in a blockage of the roads. Some parents demonstrated near the morgue. Meanwhile, the survivors are collecting names and numbers of the dead to be ready for an appeal to the central government.

One parent plainly said, “The CCP wants us folks to really, truly believe it. If the true facts of this incident are not reported, the common people have no way to believe the CCP! CCTV’s report on the incident is wrong!”

The recovery of bodies is limited, so many parents are searching for bags, books or anything that has washed ashore by the flood, to serve as a remembrance, a keepsake, or to provide some small comfort or sense of closure.

The death toll from the Shalan disaster is still a mystery. The officially reported figures have changed twice. Xinghua News Agency reported on the first day that 30 people were dead and 20 missing. The death toll rose to 60 people dead by the second day. On the third day, the death toll rose to more than 90. The villagers firmly believe there are more than 200 children’s bodies in the morgue.

The Bumei online forum is reporting that 280 children’s bodies have already been recoveredin Shalan town and there are still more people missing.