Heavy rainfall in southwest China battered the region, prompting authorities in four of the regional counties to launch a level-four emergency response as heavy rains and floods killed at least 17 in Chongqing municipality.
Four people are still missing, according to state-run news agency Xinhua, while tens of thousands have been forced to leave their homes in China as devastating flooding rips through the southwest of the country.
Videos emerging from the area showed scenes of residents being rescued while emergency workers strived to clear flooded streets. China’s Ministry of Emergency Management raised the emergency levels in response to the escalating situation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping directed authorities to “give top priority” to residents’ safety and minimizing losses as he called for coordinated efforts among various government ministries, including flood control and emergency management agencies.
State-run broadcaster CCTV reported that at least 400 emergency teams have been deployed to aid rescue and relief operations in the affected areas.
Sichuan also affected
The neighboring province of Sichuan has also suffered extensively, with over 460,000 residents affected by the heavy rain. Thankfully, no casualties have been reported thus far, but more than 85,000 individuals have been displaced, as confirmed by the provincial government.
Challenging Summers
These recent floods compound an already challenging summer, which has witnessed heavy rains causing landslides and flash floods resulting in casualties. Last week, four people were killed, and three others went missing in Sichuan due to rainstorm-triggered landslides, as reported by Xinhua.
Additionally, a video that circulated earlier this week, captured the dramatic rescue of a couple trapped on their car roof amidst a flooded riverbed in central Henan province. Rescue workers employed a drone to deliver life-saving equipment to the stranded couple, who were ultimately rescued with the assistance of a crane.
Extreme Weather
The floods in Chongqing and other regions of China coincide with intense heat waves experienced in different parts of the country, showcasing the unpredictability and severity of extreme weather events attributed to the climate crisis.
China recently recorded the highest number of hot days over a six-month period since records began. The National Climate Center reported that the country has already endured four regional heatwaves this summer, which have been earlier, more widespread, and more extreme compared to previous years. The northern regions of China, densely populated with hundreds of millions of residents, have been particularly impacted, with the anticipation of further heatwaves in the coming weeks.