Key points
- Typhoon Maysak floods kill 159 in Guangxi
- Ten people remain missing after July disaster
ISLAMABAD: The death toll from severe flooding after Typhoon Maysak in southern China has risen to 159, with 10 people still missing, authorities said on Friday.
The flooding struck China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in early July after the typhoon brought torrential, prolonged rainfall. The latest figure was announced at post-disaster recovery meetings in Nanning, the regional capital, and Guigang.
China evacuated 1.65 million
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said more than 1.65 million people in the two cities were affected by the flooding. Both cities have now moved into the post-disaster recovery and reconstruction phase.
The revised death toll marks a sharp increase from the 39 deaths reported in Guangxi during the initial response to the disaster.
AFP, citing state broadcaster CCTV, also reported the toll of 159 deaths and 10 missing people, but said authorities had not explained why the updated figure was released about six weeks after the floods.
Guangxi experienced historically rare, extensive and prolonged rainfall as Typhoon Maysak crossed the region, causing widespread flooding and landslides.
READ ALSO: Death Toll from South China Floods, Landslides Jumps to 47
The China authorities in Nanning and Guigang said their focus had shifted from emergency response to reconstruction and strengthening disaster prevention, mitigation and relief capabilities.
The disaster unfolded after several days of exceptionally heavy rainfall across Guangxi, with authorities reporting water levels above warning thresholds at dozens of monitoring stations.
In Hengzhou, near Nanning, two sections of the Liulan Reservoir dam gave way on July 6, sending a large volume of floodwater downstream.
The breach created a gap of roughly 50 metres in the reservoir structure and prompted large-scale evacuations in surrounding communities.
Authorities had raised the regional flood emergency response to its highest level and deployed rescue personnel, boats and emergency supplies as further rainfall threatened the area.
