6 dead, 11 missing after torrential rain hits south China’s Guangxi

Record-breaking rainfall in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has left six people dead and 11 others missing, according to a press conference on flood prevention and disaster relief held in the region on Tuesday.

The 10th typhoon of the year made landfall on July 5 and lingered over Guangxi for about 26 hours at tropical storm strength or above, far exceeding the historical average of 15.6 hours. A strong monsoon belt funneled moisture continuously from the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean into the region, causing prolonged heavy rainfall.

The Yujiang River recorded a peak flood level of 46.88 meters at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 5.68 meters above the warning mark – the highest since 2001. Sections of the Qianjiang, Xunjiang and Xijiang rivers are also expected to see major flooding.

Meteorologists warned that rainfall will persist for the next three days, with saturated soil raising the risk of landslides and mudslides. Across the region, 341 reservoirs remain above flood limits, and 56 stations along 41 rivers are above warning levels. Drinking water, roads and power infrastructure in Nanning, Qinzhou and Guigang have yet to be fully restored.

More than 36,000 pieces of flood control supplies and 40,000 relief items have been dispatched. A total of 1,372 firefighters and 2,200 engineering rescue personnel have been deployed, rescuing 137 trapped people and evacuating over 1,000 people who encountered danger.

A Level II flood emergency response is still in effect in Guangxi.

CGTN