The death toll from devastating floods in southern China’s Guangxi region has risen to 39, with nine people still missing, as authorities intensified rescue and recovery efforts while a powerful typhoon threatened to bring more heavy rain.
State media reported on Thursday that 26 of the fatalities were linked to the collapse of the Liulan Reservoir dam, where seven people remain unaccounted for.
Emergency responders, including rescue teams and relief vehicles, continued operations in the affected communities as residents began clearing mud and debris from their homes.
Residents told reporters that another smaller reservoir near Gantang town also collapsed during the flooding, worsening the destruction.
A resident, identified only by his surname Huang, said the scale of the disaster was unprecedented.
“We never received any warning. If we had received a warning, our losses would have been much less,” he said.
In Gantang, residents piled damaged furniture and household belongings along the streets as they cleaned floodwaters from their homes. Some said it was the worst flooding they had ever experienced.
“This is the first time the water has reached the second floor,” said 52-year-old Bi Yunchun, who sustained a foot injury during the flood.
Although floodwaters had receded in Liulan village, homes and roads remained buried under thick layers of mud, while residents used heavy machinery to remove damaged property.
Rescue teams also deployed large drones to deliver food and emergency supplies to stranded residents cut off by floodwaters.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that about 600 residents of Dutian village remained safely sheltered despite being isolated after the flooding destroyed access routes. Several homes in the community were reduced to their foundations.
China’s Ministry of Defence said more than 2,400 military personnel, supported by over 5,500 militia members, had been deployed to assist rescue and relief operations.
The floods also triggered unusual incidents, with Guigang Zoo appealing for public assistance after more than 100 animals, including zebras, alpacas and miniature pigs, escaped from damaged enclosures.
Earlier in the week, local authorities also reported that between 800 and 900 snakes escaped after floodwaters washed away a breeding farm in Hengzhou City.
As recovery efforts continue, authorities are now preparing for the arrival of Typhoon Bavi, which is expected to bring heavy rainfall to eastern China over the weekend.
China’s meteorological authorities issued an orange rainstorm warning on Thursday, advising schools to suspend classes and encouraging residents to work from home where possible.
According to state media, Bavi is expected to make landfall or pass near Taiwan on Saturday before reaching China’s Fujian and Zhejiang provinces later that day.
The National Meteorological Center warned that the storm, spanning more than 1,000 kilometres in diameter, is expected to bring heavy to torrential rainfall across northern and northeastern China over the next three days.
