8/19/2023 0 Comments China flood death toll![]() ![]() Questions are turning to how China's bulging cities can better prepare for extreme weather.Īs the water retreated, slaking roads in mud, residents counted the financial cost in lost businesses and property-and attempted to mark the human tragedy which took place there. The total losses across the province were almost double that amount.Įxperts say freak weather events-heavy floods and punishing droughts-are increasingly common due to climate change. The death toll from the floods caused by an extratropical cyclone in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul rose to eight on Saturday, while 19 people remained missing. Heavy downpours that began July 17 have affected over 14 million people, damaged thousands of homes, and caused economic losses in Zhengzhou estimated at 53 billion yuan ($8.2 billion). The disaster marked China's deadliest floods in a decade. She added that 39 bodies were recovered from underground car parks and other below-ground spaces. Scores were killed in Zhengzhou due to floods and mudslides, mayor Hou Hong told reporters while updating the overall toll. Images of passengers inundated by shoulder-height water went viral on Chinese social media on Line 5 of the city subway where 14 people died, while dozens of cars in a tunnel were tossed aside by the deluge, many with passengers still inside. Residents were trapped in subway carriages, underground car parks, and tunnels. The estimated losses were at more than 90 billion yuan ($14 billion).Ībout 1.5 million people were evacuated because of the rains and flooding.Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province and the epicentre of the record flooding, was hardest hit with 292 people dead and 47 missing, the local government said at a press briefing. The disaster destroyed nearly 250,000 hectares (625,000 acres) of crops, according to officials. In the following days, the rains headed north, hitting Hebi, Anyang and Xinxiang in Henan, the inland county about 620 kilometers (380 miles) southwest of Beijing. The provincial capital was hit by 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain in only one hour. On July 20, record rainfall flooded Zhengzhou. Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian singled out the BBC for criticism, labeling it a "Fake News Broadcasting Company" that has "attacked and smeared China, seriously deviating from journalistic standards."ĪFP news agency said some residents surrounded its journalists while reporting on a submerged traffic tunnel in Zhengzhou and forced them to delete footage. Authorities sealed off a large floral tribute at the subway in Zhengzhou Image: AFP However, criticism of the government's response to the disaster has not been met lightly.Īuthorities removing a large floral tribute at the subway station in Zhengzhou was seen as a sign of sensitivity toward public criticism. Social media users have criticized the government's handling of the crisis and demanded better disaster management systems.Īccording to Chinese media reports, the central government has set up a team to probe the disaster response and hold accountable those responsible for negligence. Henan authorities have faced repeated calls for accountability. Six people died in an expressway tunnel, where 247 vehicles were removed as it was drained. Ten others died in three other cities, officials said at a news conference in Zhengzhou.Īccording to authorities, 189 people were killed by floods and mudslides, 54 in house collapses and 39 in underground areas. The Henan provincial government announced that 292 people were dead and 47 were missing in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan. The figures mark a threefold increase compared to the previously announced death toll, 99. Record downpours had dumped a year's worth of rain on the central Henan province in just three days, causing destruction and trapping residents in subway trains, underground car parks, and tunnels. At least 302 people died in recent flooding in central China and 50 were still missing, officials said Monday. ![]()
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