Chinese provincial capital Zhengzhou is among a dozen cities flooded in the region with streets turned into rivers. 25 confirmed dead with 7 people missing – in worst rainfall in a millennium.
Unverified footage shows people being washed away or saved from the brink of drowning.
The death toll is not yet known but live imagery trending on Chinese social media shows the extent of the situation. From Saturday to Tuesday, 617.1mm of rain fell in Zhengzhou, more than 20cm fell in just 1-hour on Wednesday.
A meteorologist speaking to local media has described the extreme flooding in Zhengzhou, Henan’s capital, as a “once-in-a-thousand-years” phenomenon. The equivalent amount of the region’s yearly precipitation fell on the city in just under three days until Tuesday.
The footage shows passengers trapped by rising floodwaters on the Zhengzhou subway await rescue.
A dam near the city of Zhengzhou in central China’s Henan province has been destroyed by heavy flooding, after being seriously damaged in heavy storms.
It has become the third dam to collapse in 48 hours. Chinese authorities increased the emergency status to Level II in the central province.
Forsided, 21.07.2021