Devastating floods have been wreaking havoc in Southwest China, with hundreds of thousands of people forced to evacuate and at least fifteen people killed. The floods, which are part of this year’s seasonal deluges, have been particularly severe in Chongqing, a mountainous region of 31 million people, with the Chongqing flood warning being upgraded from level four to level three. Rescue teams have been sent to help ferry villagers to safety, with workers clearing roads blocked by landslides.

#flashfloods sweep away homes in southwestern china, 15 people die in #flood incident#flooding #floods #china #storm #orkan #orages #inondations #lluvias #inundationes #tornado #FranceRiots2023 #emeutes pic.twitter.com/xB30ZSB5vk

— Yun Ke (@YunKe56545428) July 5, 2023

In 2021, more than 300 people died in the central province of Henan due to record rainfall, and parts of northern China have reported the worst floods in 50 years. Meanwhile, much of China is suffering under intense heatwaves, with temperatures in Beijing expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Thursday.

The floods have been particularly hard-hitting along the Yangtze River, with Sichuan province alone seeing over 85,000 evacuees. The floods have also led to severe infrastructure damage, with Zhengzhou’s subway line being at least partially flooded in July 2021. In addition, the floods have caused significant economic losses, with the local government estimating that the aggregate economic losses from floods in Chongqing have exceeded 10 billion yuan (about $1.54 billion).

#China and several other Asia Pacific countries were reeling from monsoonal floods and stultifying temperatures on Wednesday.

At least 15 people died and four were missing as a result of flooding in the sprawling southwestern city of Chongqing, China. pic.twitter.com/BSQsR5jH7V

— Ravindra Singh (London) (@ravindraJourno) July 5, 2023

The Chinese government has warned people to remain vigilant against the ongoing danger of flooding. In addition to providing emergency assistance and relief to affected areas, the government has also been providing long-term support and reconstruction efforts. The government has released a series of measures to improve flood prevention and control capabilities, including strengthening the monitoring of water resources, reinforcing flood-control infrastructure, and improving the capacity of disaster early warning.

The devastating floods in Southwest China have been a stark reminder of the importance of disaster prevention and relief. The Chinese government’s response has been swift and comprehensive, with relief efforts and long-term reconstruction efforts being actively pursued. Hopefully, this will help ensure that people living in flood-prone areas are better protected in the future.