China extreme weather kills 20, injures 331 as Xi orders all-out rescue

Beijing,UPDATED: Jul 7, 2026 15:44 IST

At least 20 people were killed and 331 others injured in extreme weather-related incidents across China in the last 24 hours, authorities said on Tuesday. The toll came from separate incidents including a landslide, tornadoes, thunderstorms, high-velocity gales and flooding.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to organise flood emergency rescue, disaster relief and treatment of the injured, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. He also stressed the need to strengthen monitoring, early warning, emergency preparedness and response.

In northwest China's Gansu Province, five people died in a landslide at a township on Tuesday, officials said. A total of 33 people were buried beneath the debris. Rescuers said 21 people had been pulled out, but five of them died despite receiving treatment. Search and rescue operations were continuing for the remaining 12 missing people.

In eastern Hubei Province, tornadoes, thunderstorms and high-velocity gales on Monday night killed 11 people, while one person was reported missing, according to provincial emergency management authorities. The severe weather injured at least 331 people across three communities. More than 400 residents were moved to safe places. It also destroyed 22 buildings and damaged another 4,855, Xinhua said.

In a separate incident, four people were killed and eight others were missing after record-breaking rainfall and the resulting floods in parts of Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. More than 93,300 people were affected and 54,460 were evacuated because of the torrential rains caused by Typhoon Maysak, the report said. Xi urged solid efforts in disaster prevention and relief work to ensure the safety of people's lives and property, as rescue and relief operations continued in the affected areas.

With PTI Inputs

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