Tropical Storm Maysak floods kill 39 in south China as Typhoon Bavi nears

Beijing,UPDATED: Jul 9, 2026 15:24 IST

Flooding triggered by Tropical Storm Maysak has killed 39 people in southern China, authorities said on Thursday, while the country's east coast and Taiwan prepared for Typhoon Bavi, which is expected to make landfall in the coming days.

Most of the deaths were reported from Hengzhou, where a partial collapse of a reservoir dam sent torrents of water into the city and killed 26 people, according to Ding Wei, vice mayor of Nanning city, which has jurisdiction over the area. Nine people remained missing across the wider Guangxi region.

Maysak brought record rainfall to Guangxi from Saturday, breaching reservoirs and leaving people stranded for days in homes and other buildings. The death toll had earlier been put at six on Tuesday. The national meteorological centre said heavier-than-expected rain lashed southern Guangxi for days, with cumulative rainfall of 10 to 40 centimetres in some areas and more than 90 centimetres in the worst-hit places.

Relief and rescue operations in southern China involved drones and around 5,700 boats to deliver drinking water and other supplies and evacuate stranded residents. About 1,30,000 people have been moved to safety. Military rescue teams also completed the evacuation of more than 10,000 trapped students and teachers from a cluster of schools in Guigang city, about 60 kilometres northeast of Hengzhou. Video shown by state broadcaster CCTV showed students in bright orange life jackets climbing onto boats as floodwater surrounded school buildings.

The flooding also affected animals. A zoo in Guigang said more than 100 animals were missing, including two zebras, four porcupines and dozens of tropical birds. In Hengzhou, reports of snakes escaping from a farm led authorities to stock up on antivenom and advise residents on what to do if bitten. In Binyang county, about 75 kilometres northwest of Hengzhou, an animal shelter operator spent recent days trying to rescue about 200 cats and dozens of dogs, taking the dogs out two at a time through deep water while the cats climbed to the rafters as the water rose.

Ding said floodwaters were receding, though more rain was expected in some areas over the next two days. Crews have been sent to clear mud and debris and disinfect several towns in Hengzhou. Road repairs are underway and electricity has been restored to more than 60,000 homes, he said at a news briefing.

At the same time, Typhoon Bavi was moving northwest at sea and was expected to pass over some remote Japanese islands and then just north of Taiwan before making landfall in China's Fujian or Zhejiang province on Saturday. Fishing boats were seen packed tightly at ports in northern Taiwan on Thursday as the island prepared for heavy rain. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said Bavi had been downgraded from super typhoon strength, but still had maximum sustained winds of 184 kilometres per hour. In the Philippines, classes were suspended in several cities and towns and ships were barred from leaving northern ports as the storm passed east of northern Luzon.

Elsewhere in China, severe weather hit central Hubei province this week, leaving 11 people dead and many others homeless after thunderstorms and tornadoes on Monday night. The latest developments leave southern China dealing with the aftermath of deadly flooding even as another powerful storm approaches the region.

With PTI Inputs

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