Rescuers searched flooded areas of China for survivors on Wednesday as residents began cleaning their devastated homes after storms killed 17 people, caused dozens of rivers to overflow, and triggered a reservoir dam burst. Extreme weather has hit southern and central China this week, with a super typhoon approaching eastern provinces this weekend.
Guangxi Region Devastated
In Guangxi, six people died and at least 130,000 were evacuated after torrential rain and severe flooding from Typhoon Maysak, officials said. Fast-flowing muddy water burst the banks of 40 rivers and waterways, damaging nearly 13,000 acres of agricultural land, state media reported.
In Liulan village, where a reservoir dam collapsed, floodwaters receded by Wednesday but streets and houses were thick with mud. AFP reporters saw multiple vehicles washed into nearby fields, buried in silt. "When faced with these natural disasters, we really feel powerless," said resident Wu Yuhao. "But now people from all walks of life and the army are helping us, so we can really feel that sense of unity and strength."
Rescue and Relief Efforts
Water from the reservoir still rushed high and fast through the river as a rescue team sent large drones carrying food and supplies to people trapped on the other side. Chinese authorities sent additional disaster relief like food, raincoats, and rubber boats, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Earlier videos from state broadcaster CCTV showed torrents of water rushing past crumbled concrete walls of the reservoir dam, while rescue workers in life vests deployed on inflatable boats. "Coming to the front line feels pretty heavy, emotionally speaking," volunteer Qin Qiuyu told AFP. "In the worst-hit areas, people are still calling out for help non-stop, and they need our support."
Widespread Impact
A restaurant worker named Huang in nearby Hengzhou told AFP that "some houses collapsed... and were washed away" by the floods. AFP correspondents in Liulan saw residents begin cleaning up wrecked homes, some using excavators to scoop damaged household items out in one go.
Around 375,000 people in Guangxi were affected by the disaster, CCTV said. Guangxi officials maintained the second-highest level for flood-control emergency response, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters. Flood peaks exceeding the warning water level by more than six meters (20 feet) were expected at the Wuzhou Hydrological Station early Thursday, Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying said.
