Hundreds of thousands affected by floods in central China
Featured image: An aerial drone photo taken on June 23, 2024, shows the site of a landslide in Douxi Village, Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County of Huaihua City, central China's Hunan Province. Credit: Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai
Heavy rains impacted several provinces in central China on June 23, 2024, causing floods and landslides that affected hundreds of thousands of people and left at least 8 people dead. Local authorities have issued several alerts and are currently carrying out disaster control and rescue operations in high-risk regions.
8 people lost their lives and 4 houses collapsed in a landslide triggered by heavy rains on June 23 in China’s Douxi village of Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County in Hunan Province.
More than 350 personnel from local fire departments, public security, natural resources, and health departments rushed to the village following the disaster to carry out rescue operations, according to the disaster’s emergency rescue headquarters.
On June 23, the Hunan Provincial Meteorological Bureau raised the emergency response level of the meteorological disaster from level III to level II. Meteorological departments at all levels are required to closely monitor local weather conditions and the water levels of rivers and reservoirs across the province.
Heavy rainfall has been hitting several Chinese provinces including Hunan, Anhui, and Guizhou, affecting tens of thousands of people.
More than 200 tourist spots have been temporarily closed as five rivers in Anhui exceeded warning levels. More than 30 000 residents from dangerous areas have been evacuated in advance, and more than 4 000 people trapped by the floods have been rescued as per the latest updates.
According to the local meteorological authority, northern and central Hunan will continue to receive persistent heavy rain and torrential downpours in the coming week, with risks of floods, geological hazards, and urban waterlogging.
Between June 22 and 23, widespread rainfall swept areas south of Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province. Some regions also experienced heavy rain and torrential downpours, according to the provincial emergency management department.
Heavy rains have also affected 213 300 people across 41 counties in Southwest China’s Guizhou Province, since June 21, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters. So far, nearly 7 000 residents have been evacuated to safety and almost 1 000 people have been relocated.
References:
1 8 confirmed dead in landslide in central China county – Xinhua – June 23, 2024
2 Heavy rainfall impacts parts of China with 8 killed in landslide – Xinhua – June 23, 2024
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
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