Southern China Braces for Catastrophic Flooding as Relentless Rains Persist
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Tens of thousands evacuated and countless more at risk as southern China endures ongoing torrential rains, triggering flash floods and mudslides amid fears of worsening conditions.
Chinese state media reported at least 13 fatalities since June 9, as dramatic scenes of urban inundation and structural instability unfold, prompting urgent rescues via speedboats.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday that at least nine of the deaths had occurred in the city of Meizhou in Guangdong province, among the hardest-hit places amid reports of record flooding along the banks of the Songyuan and Shiku rivers.
The southern province is an economic powerhouse home to 127 million people and is subject to annual flooding from April to September.
The region has faced more intense rainstorms and severe flooding in recent years as scientists warn the climate crisis will amplify extreme weather, making it deadlier and more frequent.
Earlier in the week, more than 10,000 people were evacuated from Meizhou, and as many as 130,000 were left without power.
Authorities in the city raised the flood control emergency response to Level-I, according to state media.
China’s flood control emergency response system has four levels, with Level-I being the most severe.
In the nearby southern province of Fujian, state media reported at least four people had died, with heavy rainfall affecting an estimated 586,500 people across 40 counties.
In Guangxi, a neighboring southern region to the west, state media reported 48 rivers were running above flood alert levels, forcing authorities to introduce a Level-II emergency response.
The Lijiang River, a famous and popular tourist destination that runs through Guilin, saw its worst flooding since 1998, resulting in over 6,000 people being evacuated, state media reported on Thursday.
The emergency response to the flooding comes as Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for all-out efforts to safeguard lives and property, as China grapples with extreme weather with heavy rains in the south and severe drought and record temperatures in the north.
Other parts of China are also facing earlier and longer extreme heat periods and droughts each year, causing widespread power shortages and disruptions in food and industrial supply chains.
