Deadly torrential rains wreck havoc in China's Sichuan

At least 12 people were killed and another ten missing, with more than 7,000 evacuated from their homes, Chinese media report.

In this June 24, 2020, photo, a man walks through a flooded village in Huishui County in southwestern China's Guizhou Province.
AP

In this June 24, 2020, photo, a man walks through a flooded village in Huishui County in southwestern China's Guizhou Province.

Torrential rains have killed at least 12 people in China's southwestern Sichuan province, as rising waters sparked mass evacuations during the annual flood season.

Another ten people were missing and more than 7,000 had been evacuated from their homes,  Xinhua news agency said on Monday. 

The toll from the heavy rainstorm in Mianning county included two people who died when several vehicles plunged into a river after flooding damaged a highway.

Dozens killed since June start

Southern China has been battered by rainstorms that have triggered landslides and flooding since the start of June, with at least 78 people killed, according to the emergency management ministry.

Another 12 million have been affected by property damage, road closures, and other disruptions, including 720,000 people rescued or relocated from floodwaters by emergency workers.

AP

In this June 7, 2020, file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, floodwaters surround a village in Yangshuo in Guilin in southern China.

Economic losses in billions

The flood season has caused some $3.6 billion in economic losses, the ministry said, a further blow to a domestic economy already suffering from the coronavirus pandemic.

Photos and videos published by state media showed submerged fields and rescuers wading through waist-high water, carrying residents on their backs.

In the nearby megacity of Chongqing, the water level rose more than five metres above the flood safety line, setting a new record.

China’s worst floods in recent years were in 1998 when more than 2,000 people died and almost three million homes were destroyed.

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