Rescuers search for missing in China storms after 100,000 evacuated

BEIJING: Rescuers scoured flooded parts of China for survivors after devastating storms killed 17 people, caused dozens of rivers to overflow and a reservoir dam to burst, with officials warning rain will persist on Wednesday.

Six people died and at least 130,000 people were evacuated in the southern region of Guangxi after torrential rain and severe flooding from Typhoon Maysak, regional officials said, warning rain would persist there and in neighbouring Guangdong province on Wednesday.

Fast-flowing muddy water burst the banks of 40 rivers and waterways in Guangxi, damaging nearly 13,000 acres of agricultural land, state media reported.

Videos published by state broadcaster CCTV showed torrents of water rushing past the crumbled concrete walls of a reservoir dam that had burst in Guangxi, while rescue workers wearing life vests were deployed on inflatable boats.

Chinese authorities were sending additional disaster relief like food, raincoats, and rubber boats to the region, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

‘Severe test’

Authorities maintained the second-highest level for flood-control emergency response in Guangxi, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

Flood peaks “exceeding the warning water level” by more than six metres (20 feet) are expected at the Wuzhou Hydrological Station in Guangxi early Thursday, minister of water resources Li Guoying said.

“Due to the impact of persistent heavy rainfall and the prolonged passage of floodwaters at high levels, the safety of reservoirs and embankments in the affected areas faces a severe test,” he added.

Thunderstorms and gale-force winds killed another 11 people and injured 331 in the central province of Hubei, and tornadoes were reported elsewhere late on Monday, Xinhua said.

One person is missing in Hubei, Xinhua said, adding that 4,800 houses were damaged and 22 more had collapsed.

Natural disasters are common across China, particularly in the summer when some regions experience intense rainfall while others bake in scorching heat.

Xi said on Tuesday that rescuers should “go all out” in organising emergency operations, CCTV reported.

Landslide

Separately in northwestern China’s Gansu province, the death toll from a landslide rose to 21, state media reported Wednesday, a day after it buried 33 people.

Rescue teams had rushed to the site of the landslide, which occurred at around 6.56am on Tuesday (2256 GMT Monday) at Rencang village in Dangchang County, Xinhua said.

“Search and rescue operations at the site of the landslide in Dangchang County have concluded; the landslide resulted in 21 fatalities,” Xinhua said on Wednesday, citing local authorities.

The cause of the landslide was still under investigation, according to local media.

Authorities have set aside 30 million yuan (US$4.4 million) in reconstruction funds following the landslide.