Firefighters finished pumping water yesterday from an underpass on Qilianshan Road where a moped driver was found dead after it flooded during Typhoon Matsa early on Sunday.

The body of the unidentified man, who firefighters said looked to be about 30 years old, was found floating near the flooded underpass on Monday morning.

The underpass runs north to south under the Shanghai-Nanjing railway line on Qilianshan Road in Putuo District.

Serious flooding had paralyzed traffic in the area before firemen were able to clear all the water early yesterday morning, according to the Shanghai Fire Control Bureau.

More than 200 firefighters and 21 fire engines were dispatched to deal with the emergency, officials said. "We haven't closed our eyes for about two days," said Li Jie, captain of the Zhenguang Fire Control Brigade, yesterday.

Fire engines began to pump water at about 3pm on Sunday and the work didn't finish until about 6am yesterday.

Authorities are still investigating the flooding, but say an inefficient drainage network in the area is believed to be the cause of the havoc.

Five drivers and passengers managed to escape the underpass with the help of passers-by or by themselves after abandoning vehicles, which soon submerged in the rapidly rising flood waters.

Rescuers recovered one bus, a minibus and a car from the underpass yesterday.

Li, who was among the first to arrive on the scene, said about 12,000 cubic meters of water filled the underpass 5 meters deep, almost reaching its ceiling.

Some drivers said when they drove into the underpass the water was only 1 meter deep and they thought they could pass through safely. But the flood rose quickly, causing several vehicles to break down inside including a No. 129 bus.

Witnesses said they believe the dead man was a moped rider who failed to get out of the underpass in time.

(Shanghai Daily August 10, 2005)