Heavy Rain Kills Three, Leaves 17 Unaccounted For in Chongqing’s Yongchuan District

Heavy rain battered Yongchuan District in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, killing three people and leaving another 17 unaccounted for after Saturday night into Sunday, according to local authorities cited by Xinhua.

“CHONGQING, May 24 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and another 17 were unaccounted for after heavy rain battered Yongchuan District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality starting Saturday night, said local authorities, reported Xinhua”

Bernama

The Chashanzhuhai subdistrict of Yongchuan District logged the maximum rainfall of 296.6 millimetres between 2am and 4am Sunday, with a maximum hourly rainfall intensity of 103.6mm, according to the on-site command headquarters for flood control and rescue operations.

Bernama

In Beibei District, two people were also unaccounted for after the rain lashed the municipality, while heavy rains hit 22 districts and counties and the water levels of 22 rivers exceeded the warning level, according to Chongqing’s hydrological monitoring station.

The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction activated a Level-IV emergency response for floods and geological disasters in Chongqing on Sunday, and a team was dispatched to assess conditions and assist disaster relief efforts, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Chongqing adjusted Yongchuan District to a Level-I flood control emergency response at the municipal level starting from 2 pm Sunday, while 29 districts and counties including Rongchang District and Beibei District were set to a Level-II response and nine districts and counties including Yuzhong District were set to a Level-III response, according to the flood control and drought relief headquarters.

CNN said heavy rain from Saturday late night to Sunday morning left 17 people missing and one person dead, with state media reporting that in one street alone the maximum rainfall reached 296.6 millimeters over two hours on Sunday.

China Daily

The Times of India reported meteorological authorities warned that continuous precipitation posed a higher risk of inducing geological disasters including landslides, collapses, and debris flows, and said Chongqing activated a Level-III emergency response for geological disasters in Yongchuan District at 7 am Sunday.

Global Times reported that as of 2:30 pm on Sunday, three dead and 17 people missing remained after the sudden downpour, and said the flood control and drought relief headquarters deployed over 400 personnel from public security, emergency response, and fire services.

The rainfall pushed water levels above warning marks at 37 monitoring stations on 22 small and medium-sized rivers across Chongqing, according to CCTV as cited by Global Times.

“Heavy rain from Saturday late night to Sunday morning in China’s Yongchuan district has left 17 people missing and one person dead, state media reported”

CNN

Global Times also said China’s Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued a red alert for flash flood disasters forecasting very high risks in localized areas in western Anhui Province and eastern Hubei Province from 8 pm on Sunday to 8 pm on Monday, with other regions including western Zhejiang and eastern Hubei under a high risk (orange alert).

In addition to the Chongqing situation, The Times of India reported that the death toll from heavy rainfall in Shimen County, central China’s Hunan Province, rose to seven with 14 others still missing, and said the National Development and Reform Commission allocated 50 million yuan (about $7.31 million) to support post-flood emergency recovery efforts in Hunan.

Rescue and response efforts were described as underway in full swing, with a team dispatched to disaster-hit areas to ensure basic living needs of affected residents, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.