BEIJING: The death toll from record-breaking torrential rains in China rose to at least 78 on Friday, as the government issued warnings of more flooding and another storm approached the borders.
Deaths from flooding in Hebei province rose to twenty-nine, according to Chinese state media, after Storm Doksuri, which bursted at mainland China as a typhoon two weeks ago, brought on most severe rains since records started 140 years ago.
Rescuers were still searching for people swept away by the floods, as another severe storm Khanun approaches China over the weekend.
Heavy rainfalls followed weeks of historic heat, with scientists say such extreme weather is being exacerbated by climate change.
Streets in parts of Hebei, borderinf the capital Beijing, were still caked in mud as residents were scrambling to clean up damaged homes and recover waterlogged belongings.
Missing in rains
As of Thursday, twenty people had been killed by the rains across Hebei, 6 of whom had been previously listed as missing. 16 are still missing.
In Beijing, at least thirty-three people have died, including 2 rescue workers, authorities said this week.
And over a dozen people were lost their lives in northeastern Jilin province after heavy rain last week.
In neighbouring Liaoning province, two people were killed after the first few days of torrential rains in late July.
