Flash Floods in Northern China Leave 9 Dead, 3 Missing
The disaster struck late Saturday night when a river burst its banks in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia near Bayannur, a key agricultural hub. Thirteen campers were caught in the sudden surge of water. Only one has been rescued so far, while over 700 personnel are working around the clock on search and rescue operations, state agency Xinhua confirmed.
China has been reeling from relentless monsoon rains since July, with weather experts pointing to climate change as a driving factor. The erratic downpours have caused widespread flooding, displaced thousands, and sparked concerns over billions in potential economic losses.
Bayannur is vital to China's food security, serving as a national grain, oil, and sheep production base. The flood adds further strain to local infrastructure and farming operations already battered by weeks of heavy rainfall.
Elsewhere, extreme weather continues to wreak havoc. In Sichuan province, two people died and three were injured after severe weather caused a truss collapse at a beer festival in Mianzhu. Meanwhile, in Hainan, a three-and-a-half-month fishing ban was lifted over the weekend, though officials had earlier ordered ships to shelter due to persistent downpours.
This tragedy in Inner Mongolia comes just weeks after deadly floods hit Beijing, killing at least 44 people and forcing more than 70,000 residents to evacuate. In response, Beijing has ramped up its disaster relief budget, with the central government allocating 430 million yuan ($59.9 million) last week, bringing total funding since April to 5.8 billion yuan.
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