Heavy rainfalls, flash floods in northern China result in two dead

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
12 Aug 2023 08:42

Sixteen people are reportedly still missing, authorities in the Xi'an province said.

In this photo released by Xinhua news agency, members of the armed police force clean up sludge left after the flood caused by the rainstorms brought by Typhoon Doksuri at a high school in Zhouzhou, north China's Hebei province, August 10, 2023 (AP)

Chinese media reported on Saturday that two people had died and 16 others are still missing in the northern city of Xi'an where mudslides and floods have been wreaking havoc due to heavy rains.

As part of yearly rainfalls, China has suffered some of the worst storms this year.

Authorities said on Friday that the death toll in the northern part of the country had reached 78 due to the storms.

"Affected by short-term local heavy rainfall, at 18:00 on August 11... there was a sudden mountain flash flood and mudslide," reported state broadcaster CCTV.

"A preliminary inspection showed that, at present, two houses in the village have been washed away and infrastructure including roads, bridges, and power supply have been damaged," said the report.

The report added that four people have been saved from the mudslides, while sixteen remain missing as rescue efforts are continuing.

Located in a narrow ravine, the village of Weiziping suffered some of the worst flash floods in the region.

A statement by emergency services read on Saturday that the region would see further rounds of heavy storms in the near future.

"Coupled with continuous rainfall, mountains, and soil will be highly saturated, likely leading to secondary disasters such as mountain flash floods and mudslides," the statement said.