Severe rainstorms kill 16 in central China (update)

This photo taken on July 20, 2021 shows a man riding a bicycle through flood waters along a street following heavy rains in Zhengzhou in China's central Henan province. - AFP

BEIJING (AFP): At least 16 people have died after torrential rains caused landslides and flooded a city in central China, with shocking images showing passengers struggling against chest-high water inside a train carriage.

As river embankments were breached in record downpours across Henan province, President Xi Jinping described the situation as "extremely severe" with flood control measures entering a "critical stage", state media reported Wednesday (July 21).