Beijing (AFP) – The death toll from devastating storms in parts of China rose to 17 on Tuesday, with hundreds more injured and tens of thousands evacuated, state media reported, as President Xi Jinping urged "all out" rescue efforts.
Issued on: 07/07/2026 - 12:38Modified: 07/07/2026 - 15:35
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Dramatic video shared by state broadcaster CCTV showed a torrent of muddy water rushing past the crumbled concrete walls of a reservoir dam that had burst in the southern region of Guangxi, the worst-hit area.Rescue workers wearing life vests searched for missing people in inflatable boats, state media footage showed, while authorities erected emergency shelters to house those displaced.Intense rain and severe flooding from Typhoon Maysak killed at least six people in Guangxi, where authorities raised the flood control emergency response to its highest level in the regional capital, Nanning.At least 130,000 people were evacuated but 11 are still missing, regional officials told a news conference, adding that the rain has damaged nearly 13,000 acres of agricultural land.CCTV said 40 rivers and waterways in Guangxi were overflowing.Videos of villagers knee-deep in floodwater frantically trying to catch snakes swimming in a flooded Guangxi town went viral on social media, with a related hashtag racking up more than 180 million views.
