Heavy rainfall in southern China affects millions | News
Torrential downpours have caused widespread disruption across southeastern China. On Tuesday, state media reported floods sweeping through homes and farmland across the region.
More than 2.6 million people have been affected by heavy rain in Guangxi, Hunan, Guangdong and other southern provinces, and hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said more than 1,000 houses were destroyed, and property damage was estimated at more than $ 565.5m and counting.
At least 13 people have been killed since the floods began on June 2, according to state media, and two are still missing.
More heavy rain is expected in parts of southern China over the next few days. Rescue crews have been sent out across the country to help people escape from their flooded homes and take them to temporary shelters.
Seasonal rains generally lead to damaging floods each year, especially across the lower regions of China’s major river systems, particularly those of the Yangtze – Asia’s longest river – and the Pearl River to the south.
The worst floods in recent years took place in 1998 when more than 2,000 people died, and almost 3,000 homes were destroyed.
