At least two people have been confirmed dead and 19 others remain missing after devastating landslides in Guizhou province triggered by torrential rainfall, with China’s military mobilizing over 400 emergency personnel for rescue operations.
The fatalities occurred in Changshi township, while the missing individuals were trapped when a separate mudslide buried eight households in nearby Qingyang village, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
At the time of filing this report, Chinese authorities have activated their third-highest emergency response level as relentless downpours pummel the mountainous regions of Guizhou, Hunan, and Jiangxi provinces. Military units and firefighters are conducting search missions amid ongoing risks of additional geological disasters, with meteorological warnings extended across southern China.
This tragedy is coming on the heels of a similar flooding in Guangdong province and Guangxi region that claimed seven lives last week, underscoring the growing frequency of extreme weather events linked to climate change.
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The disasters unfold as 2024 marks China’s hottest year since modern record-keeping began over 60 years ago, continuing a dangerous trend of back-to-back temperature records.
Scientists have already, warned that global warming is making China’s weather patterns more volatile, with prolonged heatwaves followed by intense monsoon rains that destabilize terrain in the country’s vulnerable southern provinces. The government has acknowledged China’s particular susceptibility to climate impacts due to its dense population concentration in flood-prone areas.
With rescue teams still combing through debris and more heavy rain forecasts issued for southwestern regions, the tragedy highlights the urgent challenges facing Chinese authorities as they confront the escalating climate emergency.
