Heavy downpours have resulted in the loss of over 150 lives in China over the last 2 months
BEIJING — Downpours and flooding have resulted in the deaths of over 150 individuals across China in the past two months as heavy rainstorms pummel the area.
In the most recent catastrophe, a flood and mudslide in a hilly Tibetan region in Sichuan province on Saturday claimed the lives of eight individuals with 19 others still missing, according to state media.
The morning catastrophe demolished residences and resulted in the deaths of at least six individuals in the village of Ridi, as reported by the official Xinhua News Agency. Two more individuals perished and eight are unaccounted for after a bridge between two tunnels collapsed, causing four vehicles to plunge.
China is currently in the midst of its peak flood season, running from mid-July to mid-August, and Chinese policymakers have repeatedly emphasized the need for the government to enhance disaster preparations as extreme weather becomes more frequent.
An annual government report on climate stated last month that historical data indicates the increase in both intense precipitation and heat in China, as per state broadcaster CCTV.
A heat advisory was in place on Monday in parts of eastern China, with temperatures projected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in various cities including Nanjing, and 37 C (98 F) in nearby Shanghai on the coast.
There have been a series of fatal rainstorms since June.
Days of heavy rain from the aftermath of Typhoon Gaemi, which weakened to a tropical storm after reaching land in China about 10 days ago, claimed the lives of at least 48 individuals in Hunan province and left 35 others missing last week.
Authorities announced on Friday that the death toll from a previous storm in July that caused a section of a bridge in Shaanxi province to collapse in the middle of the night had risen to 38 individuals, with another 24 still missing. At least 25 cars plunged into a raging river, carrying some downstream.
In mid-June, at least 47 perished from flooding and mudslides following extremely heavy rainfall in Guangzhou province. Six more individuals lost their lives in neighboring Fujian province.
Heavy rains have also claimed the lives of hundreds in other parts of Asia this summer, including destructive landslides that resulted in the deaths of over 200 individuals in south India last week.
The remnants of Typhoon Gaemi also saturated northeastern China and North Korea, causing the Yalu River that separates them to overflow and submerge cities, towns, and farmland.