Guizhou storm sweeps away Giant rubber duck

The Guizhou Province government is offering a reward to anyone who can find the Giant rubber duck lost in yesterday's huge rainstorm.

The Guizhou Province government is offering a reward to anyone who can find a very special rubber duck lost on Wednesday in huge rainstorm.

Designed by a Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman to promote peace, the Rubber Ducks displays began their journeys in several countries in 2007. The Guizhou duck went on exhibit two weeks ago on the Nanming River.

However, it was affected by the severe storm yesterday with 201.7 millimeters of rain in 24 hours, the highest on record in Guizhou. The storm caused serious traffic disruptions in the city. It led to a rise in water levels of many rivers, among them the Nanming, which was over its warning line. The Rubber Duck, a popular attraction on the river, was swept away.

If the Rubber Duck cannot be found within two days, a new one will be transported to the Nanming River, officials said.

Meanwhile, about 4,000 passengers were stuck in Longdongbao Airport in Guiyang last night. The Guiyang train station also stopped all its trains, affecting thousands of passengers.