At Least 87 Killed and Thousands Displaced in Deadly China Floods

At least 87 people have been killed while thousands have been forced out of their homes after a heavy rain triggered landslides in one of the most devastating China floods.


Reuters reports that 72 people were killed and 78 others are missing in the northern province of Hebei, while nearly 50,000 homes have collapsed. In the city of Henan, 15 people were killed and eight declared missing after thunderstorms and strong winds forced 72,000 people from their homes and damaged 18,000 houses.

In total, about 8.6 million people have been affected by the China floods and more than 1.5 million hectares of crops have been damaged. The government stated that this had lead to an economic loss of more than 20 billion yuan ($3 billion).

Angry residents have blamed the disaster on local officials who failed to warn them of the severe weather in advance.

The summer rains have been especially heavy in China this year and on Friday, the central bank issued a statement saying it would provide financial support for flooded areas.