BEIJING: Sixteen people have been killed and dozens are missing in flash flooding in northwest China after a sudden downpour triggered mudslides and caused a river to change course, state media reported.
The floods occurred in a mountainous region of Datong county in Qinghai province, affecting more than 6,200 people from six villages, state broadcaster CCTV said yesterday.
“As of noon on the 18th, 16 people have been killed and 36 are missing,” added CCTV, saying rescue work was ongoing.
The deluge comes during a summer of extreme weather in China, with multiple cities clocking their hottest days on record.
A video feed of the aftermath published by state media showed roads covered in mud, uprooted trees, damaged homes and rescue workers carrying shovels.
A “frontline headquarters” has been set up to organise the emergency response, according to the state media report.
“The rescue work is progressing in an orderly manner,” the report said, adding that sudden heavy rainfall Wednesday night had triggered the situation.
Scientists say extreme weather across the world has become more frequent due to climate change, and will likely grow more intense as temperatures rise.
On Wednesday, Chinese authorities warned that heavy rains were also expected to hit northern regions of the country including the capital Beijing and its neighbouring Tianjin and Hebei province.
Meanwhile, millions of people in southwest China are facing rolling power cuts after a crushing heatwave led to an electricity supply crunch that has forced factories to halt work.
Sichuan province relies heavily on dams to generate its electricity but the heat has caused reservoirs to dry up, exacerbating the energy shortage. — AFP
