Beijing: Intense rainfall in central China’s Hunan province has led to the confirmed deaths of at least 50 people, with search and rescue teams continuing their efforts to locate 15 others who remain missing, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The heavy rains, which struck the region in late July, have caused widespread devastation, particularly in Zixing city.

The severe weather was triggered by Typhoon Gaemi, which initially swept across the Philippines and Taiwan before making landfall in China. Hunan, a hilly and landlocked province, was among the hardest-hit areas. The relentless downpours forced local authorities to evacuate nearly 300,000 people and suspend public transportation across eastern China during the height of the storm.

State media reported that in Zixing City, all disaster-stricken administrative villages have now regained access to essential services such as roads, electricity, communication, and water. Additionally, the affected residents have been safely relocated, and efforts to rebuild the damaged areas are underway.

The extreme weather conditions are part of a larger pattern affecting China this summer. Heavy rains have swept through the eastern and southern regions, while the northern provinces have experienced a series of intense heat waves. In Shaanxi province last month, a highway bridge collapsed due to heavy rainfall, resulting in the deaths of at least 38 people.

China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has been experiencing increasingly severe weather events, which experts attribute to climate change. The rising frequency and intensity of these natural disasters are prompting growing concerns about the preparedness of the country’s rapidly growing megacities and infrastructure to handle such extreme conditions.

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