Heavy flooding in southern China kills 19 people, destroys homes

May 25, 2014 | By hromedia | Reply More

May 25, – At least 19 people have died and seven were reporting missing Sunday in widespread flooding that’s hit hundreds of thousands of people in a swath of southern China, the country’s state news agency reported.

The rainstorms slashed Guangzhou, Zhaoqing and Qingyuan cities and caused floods, house collapses and mud flows, the provincial flood control and civil affairs authorities said.

More than 140,000 people were affected, 21,000 were evacuated and 1,143 houses collapsed, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Rainstorms in Guangdong have left 15 dead and five missing since Wednesday and affected 800,000 people, with accumulative precipitation of 628 mm in Shanwei City, officials said.

Sixteen national or provincial highways have been closed because of the downpour. Guangdong provincial authorities have activated an emergency response system and sent working teams and relief materials to the affected areas.

Downpours also swept southwestern Guizhou Province, as well as Hunan and Jiangxi provinces in south China. Three people died in Guizhou due to a rainstorm, with precipitation of 145.7 mm in Shiqian County.

In Jiangxi, 5,000 residents in Pingxiang city were trapped by floods and more than 4,000 locals were evacuated.

In Quannan County of Jiangxi, a rescuer died after his yacht capsized in a river due to engine failure while searching for a missing middle school student.

Heavy rain hit Hunan Province from 8 am yesterday for 24 hours, with precipitation of 208 mm in Liuyang City.

Historic-level rains lashed the cities of Guangzhou, Zhaoqing and Qingyuan and triggered floods, mudslides and the collapse of 1,143 houses, according to the Xinhua News Agency. About 21,000 people have been evacuated in the region, while in the city of Pingxiang, 5,000 remained trapped by floodwaters at noon Sunday.

Heavy rains have battered the region since last week, with 628 millimeters (25 inches) accumulating in the city of Shanwei in Guangdong province since Wednesday. About 200 millimeters (8 inches) of rain were recorded over a 24-hour period this weekend in Liuyang city in Hunan province.

Press journalist for HRO media – Ignacio Damigo contributed to this report.