Rescuers search for survivors of China storms as super typhoon nears

BEIJING

Rescuers scoured flooded parts of China for survivors on July 8 after storms killed at least 17 people and caused dozens of rivers to overflow and a reservoir dam to burst, with officials warning of more rain.

Extreme weather has wreaked havoc on southern and central China this week, with a super typhoon heading towards eastern provinces this weekend.

In the southern region of Guangxi, six people died and at least 130,000 people were evacuated to safety after torrential rain and severe flooding from Typhoon Maysak, officials said.

Fast-flowing muddy water burst the banks of 40 rivers and waterways in Guangxi, damaging nearly 13,000 acres of agricultural land, state media reported.

In the central province of Hubei, thunderstorms and gale-force winds have killed 11 people and injured 331, and tornadoes were reported elsewhere late on July 6, Xinhua said.

Eastern provinces are meanwhile preparing for the impact of Super Typhoon Bavi, which could make landfall “near the Zhejiang-Fujian border area” between Saturday and Sunday, CCTV said, citing the National Meteorological Center.

The typhoon could also move northwards over waters east of Taiwan and make landfall directly on the coast of Zhejiang, CCTV added.

Bavi tore through US Pacific territories earlier this week, leaving tens of thousands of people without power on Guam and the Northern Marianas.

Authorities set aside 70 million yuan ($10 million) in disaster relief funds to help resettle those displaced in Hubei, and another 60 million yuan in reconstruction funds for Gansu.