10 dead, 33 missing in northwest China floods

Beijing: Ten people are dead and 33 missing after flashfloodsand mudslides in northwest China s Gansu province, state media reported onFriday, the lat...

Beijing: Ten people are dead and 33 missing after flash floods and mudslides in northwest China's Gansu province, state media reported on Friday, the latest in a series of lethal weather events to hit the country. Natural disasters are common across China, particularly in the summer, when some regions experience heavy rain while others bake in searing heat. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered "utmost effort" in rescuing the missing people on Friday, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Due to the "frequent occurrence of extreme weather", Xi ordered all regions to "resolutely overcome complacency" and strengthen efforts to identify risks, the broadcaster added.

From August 7, "continuous heavy rain" in Gansu triggered flash floods, with the death toll on Friday afternoon standing at 10, CCTV said.

Local authorities had issued the highest-level emergency warning for flash floods overnight.

A video shared by the Communist Party-backed People's Daily showed more than a dozen rescuers clinging to a rope as they pushed through torrents of mud, while photos posted by Gansu's government showed roads covered in silt and large stones.