Except for volcanic eruptions, almost all major hazards have affected China in recent years, including earthquakes, typhoons, floods, droughts, sandstorms, storm surges, landslides, debris flows, hailstorms, cold waves, heat waves, pests and rodent diseases, grassland and forest fires, and red tides.
The Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management reported on Thursday that China’s direct economic damages as a result of natural catastrophes were 88.81 billion yuan, or around $13.13 billion, in the first half of 2022. Shen Zhanli, a spokesperson for the ministry, said floods and hailstorms were the two most common natural disasters in China from January to June. Droughts, freezing weather, earthquakes, snow catastrophes, and forest and grassland fires also happened to varying degrees.
Natural disasters affected over 39.14 million individuals during the period, resulting in 178 fatalities or missing persons cases and relocation of 1.28 million people. According to Shen, natural disasters devastated 3.62 million hectares of crops and caused the collapse of more than 18,000 homes.
In the Sichuan region of southwest China, severe rainstorms on Sunday caused mountain torrents that killed six people while 12 others were reported missing. According to Xinhua, who cited the local authorities, the event happened around 7 AM after water levels of certain rivers rose suddenly and floods combined with floating items, mud, sand, and stones were created.
Watch | WION Climate Tracker | Heat wave & flooding hits parts of China
Heavy downpours with up to 110 millimetres of precipitation battered the Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County from 8 p.m. on Friday to 8 a.m. on Saturday, affecting 13 townships and some 22,300 people. Six individuals were killed and 12 were reported missing when the floods devastated Baishi Township.
According to Xinhua, Chinese officials have sent out more than 400 rescue workers to look for people who have been reported missing, fix roads and communication systems, and carry out other rescue efforts. According to the report, over 1,300 individuals have been relocated, including 480 residents of Baishi Township.
Eight individuals were killed in a recent tragedy when a decorative building structure fell from a height of roughly 12 metres on Saturday in Hebei Province, North China. Nine people who had taken shelter from the rain were struck by the falling structure during the incident, which took place in the Luquan District of Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei. Since May 28, 80 counties in the province have been devastated by severe rains and floods brought on by the tumultuous weather.
The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China has more than 3.75 million citizens who have been impacted by floods and heavy rainfall, according to local authorities. Jiangxi Province in East China reports that floods caused direct economic losses of 470 million yuan (about 70.4 million US dollars).
(With inputs from agencies)
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