Floods’ death toll rises to 56 in the south
BEIJING: At least 56 people have been killed and another 22 reported missing as heavy rains continue to pummel southern China, flooding towns, cutting off power and halting traffic, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.
As much as 48.6cm of rain has been dumped on several cities since Thursday, including the scenic resort city of Guilin in the Guangxi region, the ministry said.
More than 11 million people in 11 southern provinces were affected by floods, landslides and hailstorms, the ministry said.
Rivers have broken their banks, inundating surrounding communities.
The ministry said water levels in major rivers and lakes in the southern province of Hunan have surged to alarming levels, and that the collapse of levees forced large-scale evacuations.
Dozens of flights at several airports serving major cities in the region, including Chengdu, Changsha, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, were cancelled or delayed, stranding thousands of travellers.
Chengdu’s airport was shut down for more than an hour on Monday because of rain, forcing 13 incoming flights to land elsewhere, according to state media reports.
Trains also were halted, and roads were cut off to many towns and villages in the region. Television footage showed major flooding in cities, where the lower floors of homes and shops have been submerged.
The national meteorological centre forecast more rain to come this week in southern China.
Meanwhile, the government has disbursed 700 million yuan (RM443mil) in emergency aid to four provinces in the south and east, the ministry said yesterday.
It said the aid would be sent to Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan and Guizhou provinces, to be spent on helping those who have lost their homes or family members in the floods.
The government has already sent 3,300 tents, 30,000 quilts and 24,000 camp beds to help displaced people in the four provinces, the ministry added. — Agencies