Heavy downpours have resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, DW reports referring to local Chinese media.
President Xi Jinping has urged increased efforts to safeguard the public from extreme weather conditions. The local authorities in Chongqing reported that the recent torrential rains, which began on Monday, have also left four people missing. As a consequence of the flooding, thousands of residents have been displaced, with approximately 85,000 individuals evacuated due to the heavy rainfall.
Chinese officials have issued warnings about the likelihood of multiple natural disasters in July, including floods, severe weather, typhoons, and high temperatures. In response to the situation, President Xi emphasized the utmost importance of prioritizing public safety and property protection at all levels of government. He urged leading officials to take charge of flood response efforts, placing people's safety and assets as the top priority and striving to minimize losses.
The Wanzhou district in the northeast of Chongqing has incurred economic losses amounting to 227.8mn yuan ($31.5mn) as a result of the floods. President Xi has called for enhanced coordination and early warning systems among the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and various ministries to improve flood response measures.
China has recently experienced a series of severe weather events, including torrential rains, devastating floods, deadly mudslides, hail storms, and unusually high temperatures. Many attribute these occurrences to global warming, caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels.
Scientists warn that rising global temperatures significantly increase the likelihood of extreme weather events such as flash floods and heatwaves witnessed across several Asian countries in recent weeks. The torrential rains in Chongqing this week are considered one of the most devastating natural disasters to strike China thus far.
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