Beijing: The incessant rain in China has led to severe flooding leaving at least 12 people dead and five injured in the city of Zhengzhou. The city has experienced "a series of rare and heavy rainstorms, causing water to accumulate in Zhengzhou metro", city officials said in a Weibo post. Hundreds were rescued from the subway.
While shocking images shared in social media showed the light of passengers trapped inside a train carriage caught in chest-high water. Rescuers were forced to cut open the roof of the coach to pull people to safety.
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The flood situation has turned grim in the country forcing people from their homes and leaving stations and roads submerged, as per the news agency AFP. More than 1 lakh people in China's Henan province have been evacuated to shelters following the record rainfall. There are also fears that a dam in Henan province could collapse after it was damaged by the recent storms.
A 20-metre breach can be seen in the dam in Luoyang city, as per officials. Even as the soldiers are deployed in the area, the army has warned that it ould "collapse at any time".
Why is the situation alarming in China?
In the last three days, Zhengzhou has witnessed the same amount of rain as it would usually receive in an entire year. The downpours are expected to continue in the region for at least the next 24 hours, according to PTI.
In fact, Henan province, which is home to some 94 million people, has issued its highest level of weather warning following an unusually active rainy season.
Several factors contributed to flooding, but it is said to be aided by a warming atmosphere caused by climate change that made extreme rainfall more likely.