China's Yunnan province hit with floods, mudslides after intense rain
– Heavy rainfall triggering flash floods and mudslides have damaged roads, destroyed buildings and claimed bridges, wreaking havoc in China's south-western Yunnan province on a long holiday weekend.
No casualties were reported but more than 4,800 residents in Gongshan county were affected, with about a third of them urgently relocated, state news agency Xinhua said.
Over 600 tourists visiting rural scenic spots in the area on May 31 found themselves trapped, according to Xinhua, which reported 500 of them had been rescued by June 1.
Road access to mountainous sites popular with hikers such as Bingzhongluo town and Yubeng village in neighbouring Deqin county were cut off, state broadcaster CCTV.
The Dulong river saw flood waters swell to record levels, according to historical logs from a hydrological monitoring station.
A four-storey building set along the river that had been evacuated collapsed, national broadcaster CCTV reported, showing a video of the structure tipping backwards and disappearing into a cloud of dust.
The intense rainfall over a 12-hour period disrupted power supplies. Repair work to roads and power lines was under way, said state media.
Local authorities issued a red alert ahead of the rainstorm late on May 30 but downgraded it to a yellow alert by morning the following day.
China uses a four-colour warning system that escalates from blue, yellow, orange to red according to the level of precipitation and anticipated risks. REUTERS
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