In chaotic and crowded subways, middle-aged and older residents of Chinese megacity Chongqing are taking shelter from the country's hottest summer on record -- the air conditioning and subterranean cool providing respite from the scorching temperatures outside.
Multiple Chinese provinces are sweltering under a heatwave, prompting power curbs that have forced factories to close and lights to dim on some of the country's best-known city streets.
In Chongqing, home to 30 million, the Jialing River -- a tributary of the Yangtze -- is running dry and patience is wearing thin.
Desperate to escape the heat, hundreds of middle-aged and older residents have headed to the depths of the city's subway stations, whiling away the hours smoking, playing cards and napping.
Despite a recent Covid-19 outbreak in the city that saw 10 million summoned for mandatory testing, masks are few and between.
In a nearby supermarket that has become a hive of activity, one manager told AFP that many passing time underground have air conditioning at home but are bored and want to have a bit of subterranean fun with friends.
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© Agence France-Presse
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