At least 16 dead, 18 dead after sudden storms cause landslides, divert rivers and flash floods in populated areas in western China has gone missing, Chinese state media said Thursday.
Rescuers who previously reported 36 people missing had found 18 by early afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV said in an online update. According to CCTV, Wednesday night's disaster affected more than 6,000 people in his six villages in Qinghai province.
China has experienced heavy rains and floods in parts of the country this summer,and extreme heat and droughtin others. State media have described persistent heat and drought as the worst since records began 60 years ago.
Emergency officials described the flash flood in Datong County, Qinghai Province as a "mountain torrent." Such rapids are usually caused by violent squalls occurring in mountainous areas. The water that flows down the mountain transforms canyons and streams into raging rivers that amaze people.
A video posted by the Beijing News website showed muddy water running down a wide street at night, trees uprooted after the water receded, roads partially washed away, and overturned. It showed how the car was strewn with debris.
Seven people died last weekend in mountain rapids in southwestern China's Sichuan province.
In other parts of Sichuan and other provinces, crops wilted and factories closed as drought reduced the supply of hydroelectric power and high temperatures increased demand for electricity. {twenty four} .
According to Chinese media and government reports, authorities in three provinces recently launched rockets into the sky to “seed” agents into clouds to make it rain more. tried to induce
