Deadly Landslides and Missing Persons: Heavy Rains Batter Southern China

Torrential downpours in Guizhou province trigger landslides, prompting rescue efforts and highlighting climate change vulnerabilities.

HONG KONG: Tragically, at least two lives have been lost, and a concerning 19 individuals remain unaccounted for following severe landslides triggered by relentless torrential rains in China's southwestern Guizhou province on Thursday, May 22nd. Military personnel have been deployed to aid in the urgent rescue operations.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, the two fatalities were discovered in Changshi township.

Preliminary reports indicate that a further landslide struck the nearby Qingyang village, leaving 19 people from eight different households trapped.

Authorities have also issued crucial risk warnings regarding potential geological disasters in neighboring areas.

China is grappling with the escalating impacts of climate change, experiencing more frequent and unpredictable heavy rainfall alongside hotter and prolonged heatwaves. The country's vast population amplifies its vulnerability to these climatic shifts.

In response, authorities activated their third-highest emergency response protocol for heavy rain in the mountainous Guizhou province, as well as in the adjacent provinces of Hunan and Jiangxi. Over 400 emergency personnel, including military officers and firefighters, have been dispatched to support the ongoing rescue mission.

Recent heavy rains in southern Guangdong province and the Guangxi region have claimed seven lives and left several individuals missing. Authorities have issued warnings regarding severe rainfall, potential mountain flooding, and geological disasters across the southern regions of the country.

Chinese meteorological data confirms that 2024 has been the warmest year recorded in the country in over six decades, marking the second consecutive year of record-breaking temperatures.