Eight dead after thunderstorms hit China's Hubei; several missing after landslide in Gansu
Wuhan, July 7
Eight people were killed, and another remained missing after thunderstorms and gales brought by severe convective weather hit the eastern part of central China's Hubei Province, according to the province's emergency management authorities.
Between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Monday, thunderstorms and strong winds hit Huangshi, Huanggang, Ezhou, and Xianning, with two townships seeing gales reaching level 13. Some areas saw tornadoes, according to the local authorities.
Three communities in Huanggang City's Huangzhou District have been severely battered by the latest round of convective weather, local rescue headquarters said Tuesday.
By 5 a.m. Tuesday, the severe weather had injured 275 people across the three communities. A total of 408 residents have been evacuated to safe places by subdistrict and community authorities, reports Xinhua news agency.
Rescue and relief efforts are underway.
Meanwhile, a landslide struck a township in Tanchang County, Longnan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, early on Tuesday morning, leaving multiple people missing.
The landslide occurred at a village in Nanhe township at around 6:56 a.m., according to local authorities. A total of 33 people are believed to be buried, and 17 of them have been rescued.
All-out search and rescue operations are underway.
Earlier on Monday, two people were killed and about 55,000 others affected after torrential rains triggered flooding and breaches at several reservoirs in Nanning City.
A total of 48,000 people have been evacuated from the affected areas, according to the briefing by officials.
The casualties and evacuations came as Typhoon Maysak brought torrential rains to most parts of Nanning between 8 a.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. on Monday. Water levels at 59 rivers in Guangxi exceeded warning levels at 8 p.m. Monday.
Huang Lu, deputy head of the municipal emergency management bureau, said floodwaters in the affected areas showed signs of receding as of 8 p.m. Monday.
Early warning and evacuation measures have also been put in place for villages that may face further flooding, and related efforts are ongoing.
China's Ministry of Water Resources on Monday upgraded the flood-control emergency response for Guangxi from Level III to Level II.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is devastating. 275 injured in just three communities is massive. The Chinese authorities seem to be acting quickly with evacuations and rescues, which is good to see. Makes me appreciate our own disaster management teams in India during cyclone season.
Level 13 gales? That's terrifying. And a landslide burying 33 people... These extreme weather events are becoming more frequent globally. Climate change is real, folks. We need better infrastructure and early warning systems everywhere, including here in India.
My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones. The fact that 48,000 people were evacuated in Nanning alone shows how massive this disaster is. I just wish global media would cover such tragedies in China more sensitively - lives are lives, regardless of politics.
Typhoon Maysak caused 55,000 affected people! That's a huge number. The Chinese government seems to have a good response system - upgrading emergency response to Level II quickly. We can learn from their disaster preparedness while still being critical of their human rights record elsewhere.
Such a tragedy. 33 people believed buried in that landslide is hard to comprehend. But I've seen how quickly authorities in China and India mobilize in such situations. The real heroes are the rescue workers risking their lives. Jai Hind and strength to China too.
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