Southern China Flooding Leaves 39 Dead, Authorities Step Up Relief Operations

Flooding triggered by Tropical Storm Maysak has killed 39 people in southern China, with authorities warning that rescue and recovery efforts are continuing as more rain threatens parts of the country. The storm brought record rainfall to Guangxi region, causing reservoir breaches, widespread flooding and leaving thousands of residents stranded for several days. Most of the fatalities were reported after a dam breach in an area east of Nanning city, where 26 people died, according to Ding Wei, the city’s vice mayor. Authorities said nine people remained missing across the wider Guangxi region as rescue teams continued searching affected areas.

Tropical Storm Maysak struck Guangxi from Saturday, bringing unusually heavy rainfall that overwhelmed water systems and caused flooding in several towns and villages. The earlier reported death toll from the disaster was six, but officials later revised the figure upward as rescue operations uncovered more casualties. The National Meteorological Centre said some parts of southern Guangxi received between 10 and 40 centimetres of cumulative rainfall, while severely affected areas recorded more than 90 centimetres. The intense rainfall caused reservoirs to overflow and sent powerful currents of water into nearby communities, damaging homes, roads and infrastructure.

Authorities launched a large-scale emergency response operation involving drones, rescue boats and thousands of emergency personnel. Around 5,700 boats have been deployed to reach people trapped by floodwaters, with rescuers facing strong currents, debris and difficult conditions while attempting to evacuate residents from affected areas. Officials said around 130,000 people have been evacuated from vulnerable locations as floodwaters spread across parts of the region. Rescue teams have been working to provide assistance to residents who remained stranded in homes and other buildings after floodwaters cut off access to several communities.

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Ding said flood levels were gradually declining in affected areas, but warned that additional rainfall was expected over the following two days. Authorities have deployed teams to remove mud and debris from streets, restore damaged infrastructure and carry out disinfection work in severely affected areas, including Hengzhou city under Nanning’s jurisdiction. Road repair operations are underway, while electricity services have been restored to more than 60,000 households, officials said. Emergency workers are also assessing damage caused by the floods and preparing for possible further disruption due to incoming weather systems.

The flooding comes as Taiwan and China’s eastern coastal provinces prepare for another major storm. Typhoon Bavi is forecast to pass north of Taiwan before moving toward China’s Zhejiang or Fujian provinces, where it is expected to make landfall on Saturday. Authorities have urged residents in affected and vulnerable regions to remain alert as weather conditions remain unstable. The combination of heavy rainfall, saturated ground and additional storms has increased concerns over further flooding and challenges for ongoing recovery efforts.

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