China has raised the death toll from flash flooding in the northwestern province of Gansu, where heavy rains and swollen rivers have caused widespread impact. On Sunday, the state news agency Xinhua reported that the death toll in Gansu’s Weiyuan county rose from 10 to 25, with an additional 23 people injured by the floods that struck last Sunday.
The National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief has requested the provincial government to investigate the incident and enhance emergency response measures.
Heavy rainfall persists across many regions, prompting the Ministry of Water Resources to activate a level 4 emergency flood control response—the lowest in a four-tier system—for Heilongjiang province in the northeast on Saturday. Xinhua reported that 19 rivers in Heilongjiang have flooded, with some water levels exceeding warning thresholds by up to 1.3 metres (4.3 feet).
Level 4 flood alerts are also in effect in several other provinces, including Gansu and Shaanxi in the northwest, Sichuan in the southwest, and Henan and Hubei in central China.
Authorities remain vigilant as the country braces for continued heavy rainfall and the possible arrival of Typhoon Dolphin.
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