Officials said on Wednesday that at least 15 people were killed by seasonal torrential rains in mountainous areas of southwestern China. Additionally, four more people were reported missing in Chongqing, a vast mountainous region with a population of 31 million people, which has been designated as at risk of flooding, according to the local government website. Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping has called for greater efforts to protect people from extreme weather.
Compared to other parts of China, Chongqing has seen the highest number of deaths due to floods. Thousands of people have been evacuated. The official Xinhua news agency reported that more than 85,000 people have been evacuated from the southwestern province of Sichuan due to the floods.
As the crisis deepens, the flood warning level for Chongqing has been raised from level four to level three. Workers were clearing roads blocked by landslides and taking villagers to safety in boats, according to images posted on the government website.
Every year, China is affected by seasonal floods, especially in the semi-tropical south. However, some of the northern regions have reported their worst floods this year.
In 2021, more than 300 people died in the central province of Henan. On July 20 of that year, a record amount of rain fell in the provincial capital Zhengzhou, turning roads into swollen rivers and flooding at least a section of a subway line.
In 1998, China experienced its deadliest and most devastating floods, killing 4,150 people, most along the Yangtze River.
Meanwhile, heat waves arriving earlier and lasting longer than in decades are scorching much of China, including Beijing.
Read this also | Pakistan: Islamabad, Lahore among cities facing urban flooding ahead of monsoon rains
Read this also | Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma meets PM Modi, briefs him about flood situation