16 dead, many missing in floods in northwest China

Sixteen people have been killed and many missing in flash floods in northwest China, state media reported Thursday as the country battles extreme weather that has closed factories and caused power outages.

The deluge comes during a summer of soaring temperatures and torrential rains in China, with several cities experiencing their hottest days on record and flooding causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

Floods hit a mountainous area of ​​Datong County in Qinghai Province this week, affecting more than 6,200 people from six villages, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Photos of the aftermath showed roads covered in mud, trees uprooted, houses damaged and rescue workers with shovels.

“By midday on the 18th, 16 people had been killed,” added CCTV, saying rescue work was underway.

At least 18 people are missing and 20 have since been rescued, and a “front-line headquarters” has been set up to organize the emergency response, according to state media reports.

“Rescue work is proceeding in an orderly manner,” the report said, adding that sudden heavy rains on Wednesday evening triggered the situation.

Scientists say extreme weather has become more common around the world due to climate change and is likely to intensify as temperatures rise.

Severe flooding in southern China in June displaced more than half a million people and caused an estimated $250 million in damage.

On Wednesday, Chinese authorities warned that heavy rains would also hit the country’s northern regions, including the capital Beijing and its neighboring countries Tianjin and Hebei.

Earlier this week, President Xi Jinping called on officials in the northeastern province of Liaoning to “ensure the safety of people’s lives in flood control,” state media reported.

Meanwhile, millions of people in southwest China are facing power cuts after a devastating heatwave caused a power outage that forced factories to stop working.

Sichuan province relies heavily on dams for electricity generation, but the heat has caused the reservoirs to dry up, exacerbating energy shortages.

On Thursday, Sichuan authorities ordered employers to stop requiring their employees to work outdoors if temperatures are forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius or more.

The volume of water in the province’s major rivers has dropped by about 20 to 50 percent even without rain, affecting hydroelectric power generation, state news agency Xinhua reported Wednesday, citing provincial energy officials.

China’s weather bureau said the country was experiencing its longest period of sustained high temperatures since records began in 1961, with 64 consecutive days of heat warnings in various regions from June.

More than a third of weather stations in China recorded extreme heat this summer, with 262 of them matching or beating previous records, the government said.