China: 10 Killed, 33 Missing After Flash Floods Hit Gansu, Prez Xi Orders 'All-Out' Rescue Ops
Torrential rain in Gansu, China, caused flash floods, killing at least 10 and leaving 33 missing. President Xi Jinping ordered "all-out" rescue efforts and emphasised risk identification due to frequent extreme weather.
At least ten people were killed and 33 others went missing after flash floods triggered by torrential rain hit China's northwestern province of Gansu. President Xi Jinping has ordered "all-out" rescue efforts after flash floods, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday.
"From August 7, continuous heavy rain... has triggered flash floods. As of 3:30 p.m. (0730 GMT) on August 8, 10 people have died and 33 are missing," state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The state broadcaster further stated that President Xi Jinping has ordered all regions to "resolutely overcome complacency" and strengthen their efforts to identify risks, given the "frequent occurrence of extreme weather."
According to a report by news agency AFP, footage shared by Chinese fire authorities shows rescuers helping people through raging grey water in the village. Some visuals show the roads covered in large stones and silt.
As many as 4,000 people living in the mountainous Xinglong area were trapped due to heavy rains. Garbage was also pushed into roads due to the rains, CCTV reported earlier Friday. Three people were also missing after a mudslide in Maliantan village, the report said.
Following the flash floods, Beijing's top economic planner said it was allocating 100 million yuan ($14 million) towards disaster relief in Gansu, AFP reported.
Meanwhile, local weather authorities have forecast more rain in some areas, including in the regions near Yellow River, which is China's second-biggest waterway.
China's southern region was also battered by torrential rain this week, with reports noting that all seven people missing after a landslide in Guangdong were killed. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes in the province thi sweek after heavy rains left the residential neighbourhoods submerged under water.
The government also allocated 100 million yuan toward recovery efforts in Guangdong, AFP reported citing the National Development and Reform Commission.
Just last month, heavy rains in northern Beijing killed 44 people, with the capital's rural suburbs being affected the hardest.
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