Flooding in southern China has killed 39 people

BEIJING (AP) — Authorities in southern China said Thursday that 39 people had died. flood As Taiwan and China’s east coast brace for another major storm from Tropical Storm Maysak that is expected to make landfall in the coming days.

Most of the deaths were related to the collapse of a dam in an area east of Nanning city, which killed 26 people, the city’s deputy mayor, Ding Wei, told a news conference. Nine people were still missing in the Guangxi region.

Maysak brought record rainfall to Guangxi starting Saturday, overflowing reservoirs and trapping people in homes and other buildings for days. The previously announced death toll was 6 people.

Typhoon Bavi It is expected to pass just north of Taiwan, dumping heavy rain on the island of 23 million people, and land in Zhejiang or Fujian province on Saturday.

The national meteorological center said heavy rain affected southern Guangxi for days, with cumulative rainfall reaching 10 to 40 centimeters (4 to 16 inches) in some areas and more than 90 centimeters (35 inches) in hard-hit areas.

Breaches in the reservoir sent floods into towns and cities.

Drones and nearly 5,700 boats were used in a massive relief and rescue operation to reach people stranded in the waters; Rescuers are fighting rough currents and debris to reach people. Approximately 130,000 people were evacuated.

Ding said flood waters have receded, but more rain is expected in some areas in the next two days. Teams were deployed to clear mud and debris and disinfect several towns east of Nanning and the hard-hit city of Hengzhou, which falls under its jurisdiction.

Ding said road repairs are continuing and electricity has been restored to more than 60,000 homes.