15 Killed, 9 Missing in China Floods

At least 15 people have been killed and nine remain missing after torrential rain and severe flooding swept across several parts of China, according to state media.

The hardest-hit areas include Hubei province in central China, where extreme weather claimed 11 lives and left one person missing, state news agency Xinhua reported. In the southern Guangxi region, state broadcaster CCTV said four people were killed and eight others remain missing following heavy rain and flooding.

Separately, torrential rainfall triggered by Typhoon Maisak caused widespread flooding in Guangxi, forcing authorities to evacuate more than 50,000 residents. The latest official figures confirmed four deaths, while eight people were still missing as of Tuesday afternoon.

In response, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for every effort to accelerate rescue operations, treat the injured, relocate affected residents and strengthen disaster relief and prevention measures, according to CCTV.

Authorities in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, raised the flood emergency response to its highest level after heavy rain damaged flood-control infrastructure. State television broadcast footage showing muddy water surging through a breached reservoir dam, while images from across the region showed flooded homes, submerged vehicles and rescue teams searching for stranded residents using inflatable boats.

Elsewhere, a landslide buried 33 people in a village in northwestern Gansu province on Tuesday morning. State media reported that 17 people had later been rescued, while emergency crews continued searching for those still trapped and worked to prevent further disasters.

Extreme weather events such as floods, landslides and heatwaves are common in China during the summer months. Scientists warn that climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions is increasing both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather worldwide.

China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases but is also the leading investor in renewable energy. Beijing has pledged to make the country's economy carbon neutral by 2060.

The latest disaster follows severe flooding in May, when at least 22 people were killed after record-breaking rainfall hit central and southern China, according to state media.