Thousands Evacuated from Massive Flood in China
Authorities have evacuated nearly 60,000 people from their homes in Guangdong, as days of heavy rain caused massive flood in China most populous province.
Eleven people have gone missing, while no casualties have been reported so far.
Footage on state media and online show large swathes of land inundated by the floods and rescuers ferrying people on lifeboats in waist-deep water.
Several major rivers have burst their banks, and authorities are closely monitoring dangerously high water levels.
They had warned that the level of a river in Northern Guangdong could hit a once in 100 years peak on Monday morning, though this had yet to materialize by noon.
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Much of Guangdong is part of the low-lying Pearl River delta, which is prone to floods due to the rise in sea levels and storm surges.
The delta is a major manufacturing base in China and one of the country’s most densely-populated regions, with Guangdong alone home to around 127 million people.
Provincial capital Guangzhou as well as smaller cities Shaoguan and Heyuan were among the worst hit.
Across the province about 1.16 million households lost power over the weekend, but 80% had their electricity restored by Sunday night.
According to China’s Xinhua news agency, at least 110,000 people have been evacuated, with some 25,800 in shelters.
Flights have been cancelled and delayed at Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou due to continuous rain, while schools have been ordered shut in at least three cities.
Dozens of homes across the province have either collapsed or have been severely damaged, with authorities estimating a direct economic loss of nearly 140.6m yuan ($19.8m).
