At least 9 people have died and 35 are missing after torrential rain caused flooding, mudslides and debris flows in Sichuan province, southwestern China on 20 August, 2019.
More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from Li and Wenchuan counties in Sichuan’s in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, including thousands of tourists.
Roads have been blocked and bridges damaged, making access to affected areas extremely difficult. Provincial disaster authorities were using helicopters to access areas and deliver relief supplies. Around 900 homes have also been damaged. Water and power supply has been disrupted for thousands of households.
Local media, quoting China Meteorological Administration (CMA), said Wenchuan has had about 25 days of rainfall since 01 July, greatly increasing saturation of the soil and creating a situation prone to geological disasters like landslides and mudslides.
According to CMA figures, several locations in the province saw more than 90mm of rainfall in 24 hours on 21 August, including Tianquan, Ya’an, Suining and Baoxing. Further rainfall has been forecast for the area.
Social Media
One firefighter died and another injured during an emergency rescue operation following a mudslide due to heavy #rains in Wenchuan, SW China’s #Sichuan Province. Besides, three workers of a local water supplier & one from a local sewage treatment plant still missing: Xinhua pic.twitter.com/hPtFEO59CK
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) August 20, 2019
4 people were dead with 11 others reported missing after multiple mudslides hit Wenchuan County, SW China's Sichuan Province pic.twitter.com/UCtIxlt0qQ
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) August 20, 2019
Dès l'aube le 20 août, des pluies torrentielles ont fortement frappé Wenchuan et plusieurs districts dans la province du Sichuan (sud-est de la Chine). Selon les autorités locales de la gestion des urgences, cette catastrophe naturelle a causé 9 morts, 35 disparus et 6 blessés. pic.twitter.com/MrN8MbbGQj
— CGTN Français (@CGTNFrancais) August 22, 2019
1 firefighter reported dead, 3 people missing after multiple mudslides hit Wenchuan County, SW China's #Sichuan Province on Tue: local authorities pic.twitter.com/HR5guDVPJB
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) August 20, 2019