15 Dead in China Storms; Xi Jinping Orders Full-Scale Rescue Operations

At least 15 people have been killed as torrential rain, powerful winds and flooding swept across parts of China, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate and prompting President Xi Jinping to order “all-out” rescue operations.

Authorities are also searching for several people still missing amid the widespread devastation. The severe weather has battered multiple provinces, with the southern Guangxi region and central Hubei among the worst affected. State media showed floodwaters breaching a reservoir dam in Guangxi, while rescue workers in inflatable boats searched submerged neighbourhoods and emergency shelters were opened for displaced residents.

STORMS LEAVE 15 DEAD

Typhoon Maysak unleashed heavy rain and flooding across Guangxi, where at least four people lost their lives. Authorities raised the flood-control emergency response to its highest level in the regional capital, Nanning, as rivers overflowed and low-lying areas were inundated.

More than 50,000 residents were evacuated, while eight people remain unaccounted for.

In Hubei province, thunderstorms and gale-force winds killed 11 people and injured 331 others, according to state news agency Xinhua. One person is still missing, while nearly 4,800 homes were damaged and 22 houses collapsed.

A resident from Huanggang described the storm’s destructive force after his brother-in-law was reportedly blown out of his home by the intense winds.

“Wall cabinets, sofas, coffee tables, dining tables and chairs vanished in an instant. It was as if the entire building had been hollowed out,” he told local media.

SNAKES ESCAPE AFTER FARM FLOODED

Floodwaters also washed away a snake-breeding farm in Guangxi, allowing an estimated 800 to 900 snakes to escape.

Videos showing residents trying to catch snakes moving through floodwaters quickly went viral on Chinese social media, drawing widespread attention.

XI CALLS FOR ‘ALL-OUT’ RESCUE EFFORTS

As rescue operations intensified, President Xi Jinping directed authorities to make every effort to save lives and assist affected communities.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, Xi ordered officials to “go all out” in emergency rescue operations and ensure the safety of residents in flood-hit areas.

Water Resources Minister Li Guoying warned that heavy rainfall would continue across parts of Guangxi and neighbouring Guangdong, with river levels expected to exceed warning levels by more than six metres in some locations.

He cautioned that sustained flooding was putting reservoirs and embankments under severe pressure, increasing the risk of further disasters.

LANDSLIDE CLAIMS FIVE MORE LIVES

Separately, a landslide in Gansu province killed five people, while 12 others remain missing, according to Xinhua.

More than 30 people were initially reported missing after the landslide struck a village near Longnan city. Rescue workers pulled 21 people from the debris, but five later died despite medical treatment.

Authorities have allocated 30 million yuan (around $4.4 million) towards reconstruction and relief efforts in the affected area.

China is frequently hit by floods and extreme weather during the summer months, and scientists have warned that climate change is making such events more frequent and more intense, increasing the risks posed by heavy rainfall, landslides and powerful storms.