Beijing: Flash floods in Wuxi County, Shaanxi Province, have caused severe destruction, washing away nearly 20 kilograms of gold and silver jewelry worth approximately ₹12 crore from the Laofengxiang gold store. The incident occurred on July 25 when sudden floodwaters inundated the store before staff could secure the ornaments in lockers. Within minutes, water levels rose to one meter, carrying away display cabinets containing gold bangles, necklaces, earrings, diamond rings, silver items, and jade pieces valued at around 10 million yuan.
Store owner Ye stated that employees had no time to respond after receiving flash flood warnings. Ye’s son, Jiaye, said the family and store staff searched the mud-filled premises for two days but managed to recover only 1 kilogram of jewelry, part of which was voluntarily returned by locals. Reports indicate that many residents are still scouring streets with metal detectors in search of the lost ornaments, with some reportedly retaining the jewelry they found. The incident has gone viral on Chinese social media, sparking widespread public attention.
A gold shop in Wuqi County, Shaanxi says around 20kg of jewelry was lost in recent floods. About 1kg has been recovered so far. Police are investigating, and local authorities are urging anyone who found gold to return it. #Shaanxi #floods pic.twitter.com/kZQsaLqJnz
— Spill the China (@SpilltheChina) July 27, 2025