China Floods Kill 20 as 900 Snakes Escape from Reptile Farm
Beijing: At least 20 people were killed and 331 injured in one of China’s worst floods, authorities said Tuesday, sparking fears of snakes as nearly 900 reptiles escaped from a farm that collapsed under the force of rising waters.
It was stated that the extreme weather conditions experienced in various parts of China since Monday night caused damage.
President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for an all-out effort to organize flood emergency rescue, disaster relief and treatment of the injured, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
He emphasized the need to strengthen monitoring, early warning and emergency preparedness and response. He also called for solid efforts in disaster prevention and relief work to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.
The snakes escaped from a farm in Hengzhou, which was hit by severe storms and floods on Monday night.
A viral video shows people standing in waist-deep water with bamboo sticks and trying to catch snakes, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
Village official Wu Zhi told the Red Star News portal that most of the snakes are not poisonous and that a team of 10 people has been organized to catch them with fishing nets and stun guns.
He warned villagers not to try to catch snakes manually if they find them in their homes.
Heavy rains caused 62 rivers across the country to rise above flood warning levels, with the Qingshui River in Guangxi recording the largest flood in monitoring history, central authorities said.
Tornadoes, thunderstorms and high-speed storms hit the eastern part of Hubei Province on Monday night, killing 11 people and leaving one person reported missing, according to provincial emergency management officials.
Severe weather also injured at least 331 people in three communities. More than 400 residents were evacuated to safety. According to the report, the severe weather destroyed 22 buildings and damaged another 4,855.
Additionally, four people were killed and eight others were missing in record rainfall and subsequent floods in parts of Nanning, the capital of South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
More than 93,300 people were affected by the disaster and 54,460 people were evacuated, officials said.
The regional hydrological center warned that high water levels will continue in many sections of the river over the next 24 hours. The report stated that the deaths and evacuations were due to the heavy rains caused by Typhoon Maysak.
Separately, a landslide occurred in a township in Tanchang County, Longnan City in northwestern China’s Gansu Province early on Tuesday, killing five people.
A total of 33 people were buried under the rubble. Rescuers said 21 people were rescued, but five of them died despite treatment, according to the Xinhua report.
Search and rescue efforts continue for the other 12 missing people.
