Broken link: Residents crossing a damaged bridge in Zhuozhou, Hebei province. — Reuters
THE death toll from record-breaking rains across northern China rose to at least 78 yesterday, as authorities warned of more flooding and another storm approached the country.
Deaths from flooding in Hebei province rose to 29, state media reported, after Storm Doksuri, which hit mainland China as a typhoon two weeks ago, brought on the most severe rainfall since records began 140 years ago.
Rescuers have continued to search for people swept away by the floods, as another storm, Khanun, approaches over the weekend.
The deluge followed weeks of historic heat, with scientists saying such extreme weather events are being exacerbated by climate change.
Streets in parts of Hebei, which borders the capital, were still caked in mud on Wednesday.
Residents were scrambling to recover waterlogged belongings and clean up damaged homes.
During a visit to affected communities last week, Hebei province party chief Ni Yuefeng said the area could “reduce the pressure on Beijing’s flood control” and serve as a “moat” for the capital.
As of Thursday, 29 people had been killed by the rains across the province, six of whom had been previously listed as missing, state broadcaster CCTV said yesterday.
Sixteen are still missing.
In Beijing, at least 33 people have died, including two rescue workers.
And more than a dozen people were killed in northeastern Jilin province after torrential rain last week.
In neighbouring Liaoning province, two deaths were reported after the first few days of intense rain in late July.
State news agency Xinhua said another flood control team had been sent to the province, where “the local flooding situation remains severe”.
Heavy rains are expected again over the weekend as tropical depression Khanun – formerly a typhoon – approaches China.
Emergency alert levels are being held in place across northern China, with key riverways being closely monitored.
But a week after the waters first swelled, some villagers in Hebei said they did not receive adequate warning from the authorities about when the floods would come.
The Chinese government on Wednesday said it would allocate one billion yuan (RM639mil) to compensate residents in areas that had been inundated to control flood levels in downstream areas. — AFP
