Nine dead as heavy rains trigger floods, landslides in Southern China

According to officials, at least 378 houses collapsed, and 880 hectares of crops damaged, amounting to losses of $57.2 million

Beijing: Southern China was reeling on Tuesday from heavy rains that triggered landslides killing at least nine people, knocking out power for entire villages and burying crops.

Meanwhile, northern parts of the country are battling drought, as the country faces two extremes of severe weather. Four people were killed and two others were missing in Wuping county in the coastal province of Fujian due to landslides caused by torrential rain. Severe downpours started on Sunday afternoon, with authorities measuring 372.4 millimetres (14.7 inches) of rainfall over a 24-hour period.

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At least 378 houses collapsed in the county, and 880 hectares (2,175 acres) of crops were damaged, amounting to economic losses of at least 415 million yuan ($57.2 million) in Wuping, authorities said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

In the southern Guangdong province, bordering Hong Kong, landslides triggered by severe flooding killed at least five people in the city of Meizhou. Fifteen others were missing, according to local media reports. More than 1,30,000 households in Meizhou experienced power outages, with some neighbouring towns and villages out of contact as of Monday.

Three helicopters and more than 200 teams of rescuers were searching for survivors and delivering aid to the affected areas, according to local authorities. More than 11,000 people were moved after the Hanjiang River in south China’s Pearl River basin flooded, drowning crop fields and inundating homes.

In the southwestern Guizhou province, more than 1,100 people were evacuated due to flooding in several counties. Meanwhile, much of northern China, including the capital, Beijing, has endured high temperatures in recent days. However, rainfall is expected in the drought-hit areas in the next 10 days, according to China’s national weather bureau.

Last month, flood-related disasters left several dead and missing in 17 provinces across China, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.