Flash floods in southwestern, northwestern China kill at least 12, imperil thousands

Flash floods kill at least a dozen people in north-west and south-west China
Flash floods kill at least a dozen people in north-west and south-west China   -  Copyright  Chinapix via AP
By Daniel Bellamy  with AP

Some 1,300 people had been evacuated as of Saturday, state-owned media reported.

Flash floods in southwestern and northwestern China have left at least a dozen dead and put thousands of others in harm's way, state media reported on Sunday.

In the southwestern province of Sichuan, at least six people have died and another 12 are missing after torrential rain triggered flash floods, state-owned news outlet CGTN reported.

Some 1,300 people had been evacuated as of Saturday, the report said.

Meanwhile, in Longnan city in the northwestern province of Gansu, another six deaths were reported and 3,000 people have been evacuated, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Experts say such extreme weather events are becoming more likely because of climate change. Warmer air can store more water, leading to bigger cloudbursts when it’s released.

The flooding adds to economic woes brought on partly by stringent “zero-covid” measures restricting travel and disrupting supply chains.

China is not the only country experiencing extreme weather this summer, with large parts of Europe enduring a heatwave.

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