Severe storms in China have killed at least 15 people, injured hundreds, and forced tens of thousands to evacuate, state media reported on Tuesday. President Xi Jinping has called for all-out rescue efforts as tornadoes, landslides, and flooding hit multiple provinces.
Hubei province hit by tornadoes and severe winds
In central Hubei province, thunderstorms and gale-force winds killed 11 people and injured 331, according to the state news agency Xinhua. The severe convective weather struck cities late Monday, with tornadoes reported in some areas. Xinhua said 4,800 houses were damaged and 22 collapsed, noting that the weather was characterized by sudden onset and intense, short-duration winds.
Guangxi region faces flooding from Typhoon Maysak
In southern Guangxi, heavy rains and flooding from Typhoon Maysak killed four people, with at least 50,000 evacuated and eight missing. Officials in Nanning, the regional capital, raised the flood control emergency response to the highest level after torrential rain breached dams. Dramatic video shared by state media showed muddy water rushing past crumbled concrete walls of a burst reservoir dam.
Xi Jinping orders all-out rescue operations
President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that rescuers should go all out in organizing emergency operations, state media reported. Footage showed rescue workers in life vests and helmets searching for people, with others deployed on inflatable boats.
Landslide in Gansu province buries 33 people
On Tuesday morning, a landslide in a village in northwestern Gansu province buried 33 people. CCTV reported that 17 were successfully rescued, with local authorities making every effort to search for those still trapped and to prevent secondary disasters. The cause of the landslide was not specified.
Natural disasters common in China, scientists warn of increasing extreme weather
Natural disasters are common across China, especially in summer, when some regions experience intense rainfall while others face scorching heat. Scientists warn that the intensity and frequency of global extreme weather events will increase as the planet continues to heat up due to fossil fuel emissions. In May, at least 22 people were killed in central and southern China after record-breaking rainfall, state media reported.
