CHINA (Reuters) – Rescue work has been underway as heavy rain has triggered floods in parts of east, central and southern China and it continues to batter these areas.
On Saturday, Xiushui County of east China’s Jiangxi Province was pummeled by rain and floods. Many roads were blocked and houses destroyed.
Traffic police were working in waist-deep water to help recover partially submerged cars and rescue trapped residents.
A landslide destroyed a road in Xiushui, and local people have been evacuated. No casualties have been reported so far.
Torrential rain has also hit many places in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, including nine cities and 28 counties. Seven people were killed and three are missing due to rain-caused floods.
Local authorities say that more than 270,000 people had been affected by the disaster by Sunday. Some 23,400 people have been evacuated.
The water levels in rivers located in northern Guangxi are now a major concern as the water level of most rivers there have exceeded warning line. The local water department has issued warnings from Sunday through to Wednesday for potential floods across the province.
Rescuers are using canoes and boats to save those trapped. On Sunday morning, a pregnant woman was rescued and sent to hospital.
In central China’s Hunan Province, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters raised the emergency response from Grade III to Grade II on Saturday. The province has mobilized soldiers, officials and villagers, allocated funds and sent relief supplies to affected areas.
As of Saturday, 310,000 people in the province had been evacuated due to the rains.
China’s National Meteorological Center issued an alert for rainstorms on Friday, forecasting heavy rain until Monday morning in east, south and southwest China. In some places, the rainfall could reach 80 millimeters, according to its forecast.
Meanwhile, tropical storm Nanmadol is expected to move north and northeast, affecting areas along the southeast coast of China. Its wind speed can be up to 60 meters per hour. Shipping forecasts have warned sailors throughout the affected region of oncoming difficult conditions.
