Death toll from southern China’s Guangdong floods reaches 47

With the death toll rising, authorities are cautioning about increased flooding and severe weather in other parts of the country.

In southern China’s Guangdong province, heavy rainfall has led to devastating floods and landslides, resulting in at least 47 fatalities, as reported by state media.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, Meizhou city alone confirmed 38 additional deaths on Friday, adding to the nine previously reported fatalities. The torrential rains occurred from Sunday to Tuesday, triggering landslides and floods across the region. As the number of casualties continues to rise, officials on Friday issued warnings of further flooding expected in other regions of China.

The search and rescue operations remain challenging due to the severity of the disaster, CCTV noted, highlighting the difficulty in locating and rescuing trapped individuals.

The rains have affected over 55,000 people, causing extensive damage to thousands of homes and roads, CCTV reported. Economic losses are estimated at 3.65 billion yuan ($503 million) in Jiaoling county and could reach 1.06 billion yuan ($146 million) in Meixian district.

Describing the floods as a “once-in-a-century” disaster, state media reported that Meixian district saw a complete collapse of a road, and the Songyuan river recorded its highest flood levels in history. Meanwhile, northern China has been grappling with scorching temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) this week.

The National Meteorological Centre has issued warnings for torrential rains and extreme weather in several southern provinces and a few northern locations over the next 24 hours. Rainfall could reach 50mm to 80mm (1.97 to 3.15 inches) in a single day in Henan, Anhui, and Hubei provinces, according to forecasts.

In the past week, southern Fujian and Guangxi provinces also experienced landslides and flooding amid heavy rainfall, resulting in one fatality in Guangxi where a student tragically drowned in a swollen river.

Scientists attribute the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heavy rains and heatwaves to climate change, exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions. China, as the world’s largest emitter, plays a significant role in addressing these environmental challenges.