China Flash Floods Kill at Least 10 People in Gansu Province, 33 Missing

Flash floods killed at least 10 people and left 33 missing in Gansu Province’s Yuzhong County as heavy rains batter northwestern China, according to local authorities.

Starting on the evening of Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. local time, the torrential rains hit Yuzhong County, bringing the total rainfall over the two days to 220.2 millimeters (about 8.7 inches), Ju Hongwen, spokesperson of the provincial emergency department in Gansu, said at a news conference on Aug. 8.

The rainfall triggered landslides, with more than 1,300 households and more than 4,000 people stranded across four villages, according to state-controlled media broadcaster CCTV. Power and telecommunications were partially damaged in Yuzhong County and nearby Xinglong mountain areas, CCTV reported on Aug. 8.

Videos uploaded by CCTV on Chinese messaging and social media app WeChat showed floodwaters and overflowing rivers mixed with mud on the road.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a record of withholding information deemed harmful to its image, including the casualties of floods.

As Yuzhou was hit by torrential rains and landslides, CCP officials and state media reports highlighted authorities’ preparation and rescue efforts rather than residents’ conditions.

The National Development and Reform Commission has committed 100 million yuan (about 13.9 million dollars) to carry out emergency operations and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, according to state-controlled media outlet Xinhua.

CCP leader Xi Jinping urged all-out search and rescue efforts in response to the disaster, China’s State Council reported.

As of the night of Aug. 8, evacuation efforts claim to have rescued 443 people, the deputy chief of Gansu’s fire and rescue bureau said at a news conference.

On Aug. 8 at 1 a.m. local time, the Lanzhou Emergency Management Bureau, Lanzhou Water Affairs, and Lanzhou Meteorological Department jointly issued a red alert for flash floods and small to medium-sized river floods.

The Gansu floods come amid a broader bout of extreme summer rain across northern and southern China since early July.

Xinhua reported that in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, seven people were killed on Aug. 6 after a landslide triggered by rain buried homes in Baiyun District.

In Guangdong Province’s Pingtou village, several hundred villagers were affected by severe flooding.

At least four homes collapsed and knee-deep water covered the main road on Aug. 8, while authorities evacuated 75,000 people across the province as a precaution.

Residents told Reuters that they received no warning and were provided little to no aid or support, without even “a bottle of mineral water provided to us.”

Recent record-breaking rains have been recorded in parts of China, including Hong Kong’s heaviest daily downpour for August since 1884.

Reuters contributed to this report.