Chinese state media reported that at least 17 people have perished and 33 remain missing following catastrophic flash floods and landslides in northwestern Gansu and southern Guangdong provinces. The disasters, triggered by heavy rains since Wednesday, have caused widespread destruction, displacing thousands and damaging infrastructure across affected regions.

In Gansu’s Yuzhong County, near Lanzhou, torrential downpours with up to 220.2 mm of precipitation by Friday noon unleashed flash floods and a landslide in the Xinglong mountain area, killing at least 10 people and leaving 33 missing. The floods disrupted power and telecommunications, stranding over 4,000 residents across four villages.

Floodwaters, mixed with uprooted trees and mud, blocked roads and damaged homes and vehicles. Provincial authorities have deployed over 2,700 rescue personnel, 980 vehicles, and 8,530 emergency supply sets to conduct search and rescue operations, repair infrastructure, and evacuate affected residents.

In a separate incident in Guangzhou’s Baiyun District, a rain-triggered landslide on Wednesday claimed seven lives, injured seven others, and trapped 14 people in Dayuan Village, damaging multiple homes. Local authorities are conducting cleanup, geological hazard assessments, and safety inspections of residential buildings to support recovery efforts.

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President Xi Jinping has called for all-out rescue and flood prevention measures, emphasizing the urgency of saving lives and mitigating further damage. The disasters follow a deadly pattern, with 44 deaths and nine missing in Beijing’s recent floods, including 31 from a nursing home in Miyun district.

As China grapples with recurring extreme weather events, intensified by climate change, these tragedies underscore the need for robust disaster preparedness and response across the nation.

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