Death toll from northwest China floods rises to 13
Natural disasters are common across China, particularly in the summer, when some regions experience heavy rain while others bake in searing heat.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the "utmost effort" in rescuing missing people, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday.
The death toll stood at 13, with the number of missing now listed as 30, state news agency Xinhua said on Saturday.
Hundreds of people had been rescued and thousands more evacuated, Xinhua added.
It quoted a rescue official describing the situation as "complex" due to the mud and rough roads, with telephone lines and electricity also cut.
State media on Friday put the number of people trapped in the mountainous Xinglong area at 4,000, with heavy rain pushing garbage into roads.
Beijing's top economic planner has allocated 100 million yuan ($14 million) towards disaster relief in Gansu.
Authorities also announced a yellow alert on Saturday for torrential rains and activated a flood response plan in the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei and Chongqing, CCTV said.
China's south has also experienced torrential downpours this week, with tens of thousands of people evacuated across Guangdong.
Heavy rain in Beijing in the north also killed 44 people last month, with the capital's rural suburbs hardest hit and another eight people killed in a landslide in nearby Hebei province.
Scientists warn the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase as the planet continues to heat up because of fossil fuel emissions.
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France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Death toll from northwest China floods rises to 13
Torrents of mud and water began hitting mountainous areas of Gansu province on Thursday, with the death toll listed as 10 on Friday as rescuers searched for at least 33 missing people. Natural disasters are common across China, particularly in the summer, when some regions experience heavy rain while others bake in searing heat. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the "utmost effort" in rescuing missing people, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday. The death toll stood at 13, with the number of missing now listed as 30, state news agency Xinhua said on Saturday. Hundreds of people had been rescued and thousands more evacuated, Xinhua added. It quoted a rescue official describing the situation as "complex" due to the mud and rough roads, with telephone lines and electricity also cut. State media on Friday put the number of people trapped in the mountainous Xinglong area at 4,000, with heavy rain pushing garbage into roads. Beijing's top economic planner has allocated 100 million yuan ($14 million) towards disaster relief in Gansu. Authorities also announced a yellow alert on Saturday for torrential rains and activated a flood response plan in the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei and Chongqing, CCTV said. China's south has also experienced torrential downpours this week, with tens of thousands of people evacuated across Guangdong. Heavy rain in Beijing in the north also killed 44 people last month, with the capital's rural suburbs hardest hit and another eight people killed in a landslide in nearby Hebei province. Scientists warn the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase as the planet continues to heat up because of fossil fuel emissions.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Euronews
At least 10 killed and 33 missing in northern China flash flooding
At least 10 have been killed and 33 others are missing after flash foods in Yuzhong County in China's northwestern Gansu province, state media reported on Friday. Heavy rains since Thursday have triggered severe flooding and at least one landslide in mountainous areas near the city of Lanzhou, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The downpour knocked out power and telecommunications services in the Xinglong Mountain area, stranding more than 4,000 people across four villages. Three people are still missing after a landslide in the village of Maliantan in Yuzhong County, which happened late on Thursday. Maximum rainfall in the area had reached 195 millimetres by early Friday, according to Lanzhou local authorities. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged all-out rescue and flood prevention efforts. Several parts of China are being battered by heavy rains. In the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, seven people died and seven others were injured after a flood-triggered landslide buried homes in the city's northern Baiyun district on Wednesday. In Zhengzhou, the capital of the central Henan province, local authorities shut down schools, offices and factories and closed traffic in parts of the city, which saw catastrophic floods that killed at least 292 people in 2021. While in late July, local officials said that 31 people had died at the Taishitun Town Elderly Care Centre in Beijing's Miyun district, which was one of the areas hardest hit areas by storms that dumped nearly a year's worth of rain in the area over a few days. Officials offered a rare public apology when they announced the deaths. "For a long time, this senior centre was in the town's centre and was safe, and as such was not included in the preparedness plans. This means that our prepared plans had holes," Miyun Party secretary Yu Weiguo said, calling the incident a "bitter lesson."
France 24
3 days ago
- France 24
Third-hottest July on record wreaks climate havoc
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