The Chinese city of Hanguang is inundated by floods.
Strong storms and floods in southern China have left three dead and 11 others missing. Apart from this, more than 60,000 residents have been evacuated from the affected areas and taken to safer places till Sunday afternoon. The news agency AFP reported the news on Monday, state media Xinhua.
In recent days, many parts of southern China’s Guangdong province have been experiencing continuous heavy rains, Xinhua news agency quoted local authorities as saying. Three people were killed and 11 people are missing.
Earlier, the country’s state-run news agency reported the fear of one of the worst floods of the century in southern China. The rivers in the Pearl River basin are overflowing with torrential rains in various parts of Guangdong province since last Thursday. Flooding has occurred in the hilly areas.
Rescuers deployed helicopters and rubber boats to evacuate residents of Guangdong province to safety. Large areas of Shaoguan city in the north of the province were also flooded and landslides were reported. Rescuers have been dispatched to evacuate trapped residents and transport food and other supplies.
More than 300 rescue workers were deployed last Saturday to rescue trapped residents in six villages in Jiangwan town. Another heavily affected city is Qingyuan. In some areas, the water level reached the first floor of the building yesterday morning. Most of the town’s houses and shops are now under water.
China’s National Meteorological Office has issued weather warnings across central Guangdong and warned of major storms in coastal areas from yesterday evening into today. Three locations monitored in the Bei River Basin will experience one of the worst floods of the century under the influence of heavy rains, CCTV said, citing the provincial Hydrology Bureau.
However, natural disasters are very regular in China. The country has seen severe floods, droughts and record heat in recent years.
Natural disasters caused by climate change are becoming more frequent due to human-emitted greenhouse gases, and China is the world’s largest carbon emitter.