At Least 6 Dead in Southern China Floods

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Jun 27, 2025 - 09:58 Updated: Jun 27, 2025 - 03:03
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At Least 6 Dead in Southern China Floods

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The extreme flooding in southwestern China has killed at least six people, state media reported on June 26, the latest such disaster amid heavy downpours expected to batter several regions in the coming days.

Rongjiang, a town located at the confluence of three rivers in the mountainous province of Guizhou, was hit by a flood on a scale that domestic media described as unprecedented in more than 50 years.

The infrastructure in some townships suffered severe damage, leaving roads blocked, communications disrupted, and some residents trapped, Xinhua reported. Rescue teams were searching for anyone who may be trapped in the floodwaters, it added, indicating the death toll could rise much higher.

The disaster has unfolded since heavy rains began on June 18, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

By June 24, a section of the Liu River in Rongjiang exceeded the alert level of 17 feet, marking the highest level since record keeping began in 1958, according to a statement from the Ministry of Water Resources.

At the time, the flow of water into the river in Rongjiang reached 11.4 million liters a second, breaking a nearly 70-year-old record, the ministry said, classifying it as “extreme flooding.”

By June 25, the disaster had affected more than 100,000 people in the small town, local officials said, with more than 51,000 displaced from their homes, according to China Youth Daily, a newspaper affiliated with the Communist Party’s Youth League.

Local authorities and residents are now working to remove silt left behind by the flooding as the waters recede slowly in the county seat. In Rongjiang’s largest shopping mall, the water level remained around 6 feet deep on June 26, despite a 28-hour work by large water pumping trucks, according to state-affiliated Jimu News.

The Chinese Communist Party often tightly controls information about disasters and tragic incidents, and has a record of underreporting death tolls. State media reports this week largely focused on the prevention and rescue efforts by the authorities, while downplaying the disaster’s damages.
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A woman walks on the debris at a flood-affected area in Congjiang, in southwestern Guizhou Province, China, on June 25, 2025. STR/AFP via Getty Images
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While the rain has eased and officials downgraded the alert level in Rongjiang, flooding has spread downstream to other parts of southwest China, including rural settlements in Guangxi along the Liu River, which originates from Guizhou.

Across the Guangxi region, state media reported flooding in several towns and villages this week, while mudslides washed away roads.

The worst-hit area was Meilin village in Liuzhou city, in northern Guangxi, where floodwaters rose to more than 13 feet above the safety threshold, state broadcaster CCTV reported on June 26.

Liuzhou’s meteorological bureau forecasted that the heavy rain could last until July 1.

Reuters contributed to this report.
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