50 Dead, 15 Missing After Typhoon-Induced Heavy Rainfall Hits China

Typhoon-induced rainfall has led to 50 confirmed deaths and 15 missing persons in Zixing City, central China’s Hunan Province, local authorities reported.

The intense rain, brought by Typhoon Gaemi, began affecting Zixing in late July. The rain triggered severe flash floods and landslides in the county-level city, which is governed by Chenzhou City, according to Xinhua news agency.

The Chenzhou headquarters for emergency rescue, restoration, and reconstruction efforts reported that 128,000 people were impacted by the disaster. Additionally, 11,869 houses and buildings collapsed.

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Infrastructure suffered greatly, with 149 villages experiencing power outages, 152 villages facing road interruptions, and 78 villages losing communication.

Despite these challenges, all administrative villages in the disaster-stricken areas of Zixing have regained initial access to roads, electricity, communication, and water. Rescue operations and post-disaster reconstruction are currently in progress.

Earlier, on August 2, power and communication supplies had mostly resumed in Zixing. At that time, the disaster had already claimed 30 lives and left 35 people missing.

The heavy rain, which saw maximum precipitation exceeding 673 mm, caused substantial damage. In Zixing, 1,641 houses collapsed, and 1,345 roads were destroyed. The storm affected 118,000 residents, with 13,033 people evacuated. Around 13,800 hectares of crops were damaged, including 5,000 hectares that were completely destroyed.

Rescue efforts have faced difficulties due to the mountainous terrain and dense forests, which have complicated access to the worst-hit areas. Rescue teams have had to reach some locations on foot, while others have received air-dropped supplies, said Cao Zhongsheng, deputy director of Chenzhou’s emergency management bureau.

In response to the ongoing disaster, China’s National Disaster Reduction Commission has elevated the emergency response to Level II, the second-highest level in the four-tier warning system, for Hunan Province.