Deadly floods claim lives of 51 people in Central China; losses worth $10 billion incurred

China's Henan province has been witnessing a deadly flood that claimed the lives of at least 51 people and left millions homeless, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday. Among the dead were 12 people trapped by floodwaters in Zhengzhou’s subway system, where more than 20 centimetres of rain fell in one hour on Tuesday. The streets were heavily flooded and people were left stranded in apartments, offices, houses and rural homes in dozens of cities and towns.

President Xi Jinping directs authorities to prioritise people's safety

The reports said that Zhengzhou claimed a loss of about $10 billion due to the flood. Still, the city continues to drain inundated areas and cart away damaged vehicles and household items. Describing the devastating situation as "very severe", President Xi Jinping said that the government has directed the authorities to prioritise people's safety and property during the evacuation of the areas submerged due to floods.

China residents take to social media for help

On July 22, a video clip of several passengers trapped inside a flooded subway car also went viral on the internet, where the passengers were seen knocking on the doors of social media for help. According to local media reports, more than one lakh people have been transported to safer places from Zhengzhou with the help of over a thousand emergency personnel deployed to assist in the effort. There were several areas where power outages have been reported due to heavy showers. Social media users also shared images showing the first floor of a hospital completely submerged in water.

Zhengzhou, which is considered a hub for the country's railway network, was also heavily inundated, where passengers were stuck at the tracks for as long as 40 hours. That forced the rescuers to assist passengers with food and water. Meanwhile, Central Weather Bureau issued a warning as Typhoon In-Fa is approaching Taiwan and the coastal provinces. It said that heavy rain or extremely heavy rain will affect Taipei City and other northern parts of the island. chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Centre, Chen Tao stated that the country had made efforts to improve its extreme weather forecasting but it remains a worldwide challenge.

(With inputs from AP)

(Image Credit: AP)