Torrid rains have triggered flash and devastating mountain floods in northern China, killing two locals.
The natural disaster hit the Jarud Banner area of Tongliao County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
According to official information from local authorities, carried by the state-run Xinhua News Agency, the disaster struck the area in the afternoon. The victims were identified as local farmers. One of them drowned while trying to herd his cattle, while the other fell into the rising water while moving animals to safety. Despite immediate rescue efforts, their lives could not be saved.
Emergency rescue operations are currently underway in the affected region. Specialized teams are assessing the material damage to infrastructure and agricultural areas.
Large-scale flood risk across the country
The incident is part of a wider wave of extreme weather events across China. The country's meteorological authorities have already warned that a serious rise in the levels of the main river basins is expected in July, including in the northern and northeastern parts of the country.
- Emergency measures in the north: China's Ministry of Water Resources has activated a Level IV (the lowest in the four-level system) emergency flood control plan in the neighboring northeastern provinces of Liaoning and Jilin.
- Expected rainfall: Forecasts predict that rain amounts in some northern areas will exceed 100 mm per square meter. This creates an immediate risk of overflowing smaller rivers and new mountain torrents.
- Typhoons in the South: Simultaneously with the torrential rains in the north, China's southern coastal provinces (Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi) were hit by tropical depressions and typhoons, bringing hurricane-force winds and additional flooding.
The authorities called on local administrations to strengthen 24-hour monitoring of water bodies, issue timely warnings to the population and strengthen dikes to protect human life.