Heavy Rains and Tropical Storm Cause Widespread Destruction in China and Vietnam

Heavy rains have left a trail of devastation in northern China, resulting in the loss of five lives, while a tropical storm has caused significant damage and flooding in the nation’s south and neighboring Vietnam.

Mountain Flash Floods in Inner Mongolia

In the eastern part of China’s Inner Mongolia region, two villagers lost their lives in a mountain flash flood on Saturday evening. The official Xinhua News Agency reported that one villager drowned while herding cattle, while the other fell into water while driving a cattle herd away.

The incident highlights the dangers posed by heavy rainfall in mountainous regions, where flash floods can occur with little warning.

Heavy Rainfall in Liaoning Province

In neighboring Liaoning province’s Fushun city, a heavy rainstorm battered the area for several hours on Saturday, resulting in rainfall of up to 32.9 centimeters (13 inches) in one area. The storm caused widespread flooding, with streets turned into lakes and over 3,600 residents relocated to safer areas.

Video footage posted online showed the extent of the damage, with cars submerged up to their roofs and residents struggling to cope with the aftermath of the storm.

Tropical Storm Maysak Hits Southern China and Vietnam

In southern China, Tropical Storm Maysak made landfall in the Guangxi region on Sunday, after making landfall the previous night in neighboring Vietnam’s Quang Ninh province. The storm brought strong winds of up to 101 kilometers (63 miles) per hour, causing widespread damage and flooding in the affected areas.

Rivers overflowed in Guangxi’s Fangchenggang city, submerging cars and forcing rescuers to use inflatable boats to reach trapped people. Residents described the flooding as the most severe in two decades, according to a China News Service report.

In Vietnam, the storm knocked down trees and ripped metal roofs off buildings in the town of Mong Cai on Saturday evening. Crews used chainsaws and heavy machinery to clear debris and reopen roads after the winds subsided.

The tropical storm also uprooted trees in Dongxing, a city that borders Vietnam, and dumped rain on China’s Hainan island last week before crossing water and making landfall again in Vietnam.

Rescue Efforts Underway

Rescue efforts are underway in both China and Vietnam, with emergency responders working to reach affected areas and provide aid to those in need.

The storms have caused significant disruption to daily life, with roads and infrastructure damaged and residents struggling to cope with the aftermath of the storms.