At least 200,000 people flee the rain-hit Henan province as rescue efforts continue
At least 33 people have died in China’s flood-stricken Henan, a dozen of them in its capital Zhengzhou, as unprecedented rains batter central China’s Henan province.
The heavy torrential rain is said to be the heaviest in 1,000 years.
More than three million people have been affected. Rain turned streets into rapidly flowing rivers, washed away cars and flooded homes.
About 200,000 people have been evacuated in Zhengzhou, an industrial and transport hub, where rail and road links were disrupted. Dams and reservoirs have swelled to warning levels and thousands of troops are taking part in the rescue effort in the province.
Rainwater has damaged more than 215,200 hectares of croplands, causing a direct economic loss of about 1.22 billion yuan (about $188.6 million), according to Chinese media.
The Chinese military also blasted a dam in Henan province to divert floodwater.
China has also deployed a large unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to restore telecommunications services in the central province of Henan.