BEIJING (AP) – Southern China was reeling yesterday from heavy rains that triggered landslides killing at least nine people, knocking out power for entire villages and burying crops.
Meanwhile, northern parts of the country are battling drought, as the country faces two extremes of severe weather.
Four people were killed and two others were missing in Wuping county in the coastal province of Fujian due to landslides caused by torrential rain. Severe downpours started on Sunday afternoon, with authorities measuring 372.4 millimetres of rainfall over a 24-hour period. At least 378 houses collapsed in the county, and 880 hectares of crops were damaged, amounting to economic losses of at least CNY415 million in Wuping, authorities said, according to Xinhua news agency.
In the southern Guangdong province, bordering Hong Kong, landslides triggered by severe flooding killed at least five people in the city of Meizhou. Fifteen others were missing, according to local media reports.
Over 130,000 households in Meizhou experienced power outages, with some neighbouring towns and villages out of contact as of Monday. Three helicopters and over 200 teams of rescuers were searching for survivors and delivering aid to the affected areas, according to local authorities.
