Northwest China floods claim 13 lives as death toll rises

Gansu Province Faces Rising Casualties from Sudden Floods

The latest updates from northwestern China reveal that a sudden surge of mudslides and flash floods in Gansu province has increased the death toll to 13 and raised the number of missing people to 30, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Timeline of the Disaster

• Thursday: Torrents of mud and water began battering mountainous regions of Gansu, prompting immediate rescue efforts.
• Friday: Rescuers identified ten fatalities while searching for at least 33 individuals believed trapped in the harsh terrain.
• Saturday: After locating the bodies of three additional victims, authorities updated the death toll to thirteen and confirmed thirty people remain missing.

Challenges Facing Rescue Operations

Rescue officials described the situation as “complex” due to the mud, rough roads, and widespread cuts to telephone lines and electricity. Local government claimed that roughly 4,000 residents were trapped in the Xinglong mountainous area, while heavy rainfall pushed garbage into roadways.

Government Response and Assistance

• Yellow Alert: Beijing issued a yellow alert for torrential rains and activated a flood response plan across Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, and Chongqing.
• Disaster Relief Funding: The economic planner allocated 100 million yuan (about $14 million) toward relief efforts in Gansu.
• Additional Evacuations: Hundreds of individuals have been rescued and thousands more have been evacuated, with authorities continuing to search for the missing.

Broader Context of Weather Extremes

China’s south has also experienced torrential downpours this week, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate across Guangdong. Heavy rains in Beijing’s northern suburbs last month killed 44 people, with another eight deaths recorded in a landslide in nearby Hebei province.

Scientific Perspective

Experts warn that the planet’s continued warming—driven by fossil fuel emissions—will intensify the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, remains a global renewable energy powerhouse, underscoring the dual role of mitigation and adaptation in addressing climate change.