More than 150 killed in floods, scores missing
BEIJING — Torrential rains that have swept through China have killed at least 154 people and left 124 missing, officials said Saturday, with most of the casualties reported from a northern province where villagers complained about lack of warning before a deadly flash flood.
The rains, which began Monday, have flooded streams, triggered landslides and destroyed homes across the country. Most of the fatalities were reported in the northern province of Hebei, where the provincial Department of Civil Affairs said 114 people were killed and 111 others were missing.
More than 300,000 people were evacuated in Hebei, and the province made another round of appropriations of tents, blankets, rain boots and generators, the department said.
In the Hebei city of Xingtai alone, 25 people were killed and another 13 were missing.
The Xingtai village of Daxian was swamped by a flash flood early Wednesday as residents were sleeping. Eight people, including three children, were killed and another was missing, according to the Xingtai government.
The tragedy did not surface until Friday, when accounts began surfacing on Chinese social media of angry villagers blocking roads, accusing local authorities of failing to notify them in time for evacuation when an upstream reservoir discharged floodwaters.
Although removed from social media by Saturday morning — apparently by censors — the postings caused a national uproar, with members of the public demanding accountability from local authorities.
On Saturday night, Xingtai Mayor Dong Xiaoyu made a public apology and bowed at a news conference for the mishandling of the flash flood. He said the danger of the flood was underestimated, and that local officials erred in failing to confirm and report casualties in a timely and accurate fashion. He promised a thorough investigation and to hold negligent officials responsible.
Authorities blamed extraordinary rainfall and a failure of a river levee near the village for the sudden water surge. Local media reported that the river channel is particularly narrow near the village of Daxian and has been blocked by pipes from a heating utility, as well as mud.