China Flood Crisis Escalates: Seven Dead in Hunan, Chongqing on Alert

Continuous heavy rain since mid-May has turned rivers into raging torrents and hillsides into mudslides across central and southwestern China. In Hunan’s Shimen county the confirmed death toll reached seven on Saturday, while search parties continue to look for fourteen missing residents. Farther west, Chongqing officials imposed a level-three emergency in Yongchuan district after gauges recorded up to 296 mm of rain in a single night. At least ten people remain unaccounted for amid fears that more landslides could strike. Beijing’s cabinet has approved 50 million yuan to help local governments rebuild infrastructure and provide temporary shelter. Engineers are racing to repair washed-out bridges and power grids so that essential supplies can reach cut-off villages. Forecasters say another band of storms is approaching, raising concerns that the current emergency could last several more days.