China – Yangtze River Basin Floods Continue as Tropical Cyclone Nepartak Hits

Severe weather across the country has left over 200 people dead and almost 100,000 houses destroyed in China so far this month.

The death toll from the ongoing Yangtze River basin floods has now reached over 160.  Flooding has affected huge areas of the basin since 30 June.

Meanwhile  in the north west of the country, heavy rain has caused a deadly landslide in Xinjiang Autonomous Region.

In the south east, Tropical Cyclone Nepartak has left a wave of destruction in its wake in the provinces of Fujian, Guandong and Jiangxi, where at least 12 people have died and over 20 are still missing.

Yangtze River Basin Floods

The death toll from the Yangtze River basin floods has now reached 164, according to the latest figures from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA). A further 29 people are still missing.

The flooding has affected the 11 provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan. By 07 July, over 140 people had died in the Yangtze River basin floods.

Heavy rain from around 30 June led to two flood peaks on July 1 and 3, pushing water levels beyond alert levels, according to Xinhua, the Chinese news agency. Xinhua also say that as of 11 July, 2.9 million people living in the basin have been evacuated and 870,000 people have been rescued.

As of 12 July, MCA report that 73,000 houses have been totally destroyed and 398,000 have been damaged by the rain and floods.

Relief Efforts

At the request of China’s President, Xi Jinping, more military and police personnel have been deployed to support flood control and disaster relief efforts. It is thought that there are now over 100,000 soldiers involved in flood efforts.

The Red Cross Society of China have also been involved in relief work for flood-hit areas. Highly-trained and well-equipped emergency relief teams from the Red Cross Society of China have been distributing relief items including family kits, clothes, tents, food and cash assistance to those affected. They have also set up tents and sanitary facilities in safe locations.

“Hubei has suffered extremely heavy rains and floods,” said Chen Zhu, President of the Red Cross Society of China during his visit to resettlement sites in Wuhan City, Hubei Province. The area has been particularly hard-hit by torrential rains this year. President Chen Zhu emphasized the importance of the National Society in responding to emergency situations related to the floods in southern China, pointing out the crucial role of Red Cross volunteers and staff in relief operations.

The red Cross say that damaged and muddy roads, particularly in the mountainous areas have hampered relief efforts, increasing the challenge of bringing aid to affected households especially where the population is dispersed in many small villages.

More Rain Forecast

China’s National Meteorological Centre forecasts that Sichuan, Chongqing and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will be hit by severe precipitation again from 13 July 2016.

Landslide in Xinjiang

The heavy rain has caused severe problems in the north west of the country.  A landslide caused by torrential rains in Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China left over 30 people dead.

The landslide struck a remote mountain village in Yecheng county of Kashgar Prefecture during the early hours of 07 July, burying homes and their occupants. Local media say that 35 people were killed.

Tropical Cyclone Nepartak

Also in China, 12 people have died and 22 are missing due to the passage of Tropical Cyclone Nepartak, according to MCA figures.

Nepartak affected the provinces of Fujian, Guandong and Jiangxi. MCA reported that 250,000 people have been evacuated, more than 5,300 people required emergency assistance, and that 23,000 houses have collapsed and 15,000 damaged.

Nepartak made landfall near Shishi City in Fujian Province, early on 09 July. It continued moving north-west over the provinces of Fujian, Guandong and Jiangxi, bringing strong winds and heavy rain in its wake.

In Taiwan, Tropical Cyclone Nepartak caused at least three deaths and left more than 300 people injured.

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