Southwestern China’s Guizhou province has been ravaged by severe flooding, resulting in at least six deaths and the evacuation of over 80,000 residents.
State media reported that “exceptionally large floods” inundated Rongjiang county starting Tuesday, prompting authorities to initiate the highest-level emergency flood response.
Low-lying areas were submerged, with infrastructure in several towns severely damaged, leading to traffic disruptions, communication failures, and trapped residents.
The floods caused significant destruction, with a football field in Rongjiang submerged under three meters of water, according to Xinhua.
Emergency services have been deployed to conduct rescue operations, and tents have been erected to provide temporary shelter for displaced residents.
As water levels recede below warning levels, recovery efforts are underway, focusing on clearing debris and mud from affected businesses and buildings, while authorities continue to search for trapped individuals.
Neighboring Guangxi has also faced torrential rains, with flood alarms triggered along 20 rivers and mudslides damaging residential areas.
The broader region, including Guangdong and Hunan, braces for further challenges as a tropical depression, which made landfall in Hainan on Thursday, is expected to bring additional storms.
China’s summer of extreme weather, marked by heatwaves in Beijing and evacuations in Hunan due to Typhoon Wutip, underscores the nation’s ongoing battle with climate-driven disasters.