China Flash Floods Kill at Least 10 People in Gansu Province, 33 Missing
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Flash floods killed at least 10 people and left 33 missing in Yuzhong county of Gansu Province as heavy rains batter northwestern China, according to local authorities
Starting Thursday evening at 6 p.m. local time, the torrential rains hit Yuzhong county, bringing the total rainfall over the two days to 220.2 millimeters (8.6 inches), Ju Hongwen, spokesperson of the provincial emergency department in Gansu, said at a press conference on Friday.
The rainfall triggered landslides, with over 1,300 households and more than 4,000 people stranded across four villages, according to state-controlled media broadcaster CCTV. Power and telecommunications were partially damaged in Yuzhong County and nearby Xinglong mountain areas, CCTV reported on Friday.
Videos uploaded by CCTV on Chinese messaging and social media app WeChat showed floodwaters and overflowing rivers mixed with mud on the road.
As Yuzhou was hit by torrential rains and landslides, CCP officials and state media reports highlighted authorities’ preparation and rescue efforts rather than residents’ conditions.
The National Development and Reform Commission has committed 100 million yuan (around 13.9 million dollars) to carry out emergency operations and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, according to Xinhua, a state-controlled media outlet.
The CCP leader Xi Jinping urged all-out search and rescue efforts in response to the disaster, China’s State Council reported.
As of Friday night, evacuation efforts claim to have rescued 443 people, the deputy chief of Gansu’s fire and rescue bureau said at a press conference on Friday.
On Friday at 1 a.m., the Lanzhou Emergency Management Bureau, Lanzhou Water Affairs, and Lanzhou Meteorological Department jointly issued a red alert for flash floods and small- to medium-sized river floods.
The Gansu floods come amid a broader bout of extreme summer rain across northern and southern China since early July.
Xinhua reported that in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, seven people were killed earlier this week after a landslide triggered by rain buried homes in Baiyun District.
In Guangdong Province’s Pingtou village, several hundred villagers were affected by severe flooding.
At least four homes collapsed and knee-deep water covered the main road on Friday, while authorities evacuated 75,000 people across the province as a precaution.
Residents told Reuters they received no warning and were provided little to no aid or support, without even “a bottle of mineral water provided to us.”
Recent record-breaking rains have been recorded in parts of China, including Hong Kong’s heaviest daily downpour for August since 1884.
