Flooding triggered by a tropical storm has killed 39 people in southern China, authorities said on Thursday, as Taiwan and China’s eastern coast prepared for another typhoon expected to make landfall in the coming days.
Most of the deaths occurred in Hengzhou, where the partial collapse of a reservoir dam sent torrents of water into the city, killing 26 people, said Ding Wei, vice mayor of Nanning city, which oversees the area. Nine people remained missing across the wider Guangxi region.
Tropical Storm Maysak brought record-breaking rainfall to Guangxi from Saturday, causing reservoirs to overflow and leaving people stranded in homes and other buildings for days. The previously reported death toll on Tuesday was six.
A second storm, Typhoon Bavi, was moving across the sea and was forecast to pass just north of Taiwan, bringing heavy rain to the island of 23 million people before making landfall in China’s Zhejiang or Fujian provinces on Saturday.
The rainfall in southern Guangxi was heavier than expected, with cumulative totals of 10 to 40 centimetres in some areas and more than 90 centimetres in the worst-hit locations, according to the national meteorological centre.
Rescue teams were still working on Thursday to evacuate more than 10,000 students and teachers trapped at a group of schools in Guigang city, northeast of Hengzhou.
Animals were also among those affected by the floods, with many stranded or swept away by rising waters.
A zoo in Guigang said more than 100 animals were missing, including two zebras, four porcupines and dozens of tropical birds. In Hengzhou, snakes from a farm reportedly escaped during the flooding, prompting authorities to stock up on antivenom and issue guidance to residents on how to respond if they encountered the reptiles.
An animal shelter operator in Binyang county, northwest of Hengzhou, said they had struggled to rescue about 200 cats and dozens of dogs. The dogs were carried out two at a time through strong currents, while cats climbed onto rafters as floodwaters rose.
Drones and about 5,700 boats have been deployed as part of a large-scale rescue and relief operation, with emergency crews battling strong currents and debris to reach stranded residents. Around 130,000 people have been evacuated.
Ding said floodwaters were receding, although more rain was expected in some areas over the next two days. Crews had been sent to clear mud and debris and disinfect several towns in Hengzhou.
Road repairs were under way, and electricity had been restored to more than 60,000 homes, Ding said.