Nearly half a million people have been affected by the floods caused by the heavy rains that hit Guangdong in south-eastern China in the past few days, among the worst in the last sixty years.
According to the latest figures released by the Guangdong Provincial Emergency Management Department, 479,600 residents are affected by the emergency, of which 177,600 have been evacuated. Over 1,700 homes have collapsed and over twenty-seven hectares of crops have been affected: the economic damage is so far estimated at 1.75 billion yuan (248.45 million euros). Among the most affected areas is the city of Shaoguan, in Guangdong, which has brought the response to the emergency to the highest level, but also parts of Guangzhou itself, the provincial capital, have been flooded by the rising waters of the River. Pearls.
The heavy rains affect, in total, seven southern provinces of the country, including Guangxi and Jiangxi among the most affected, where forecasters have warned of the risk of geological disasters. Large areas of China are prone to flooding at this time of year, although weather phenomena have become more intense in recent years, causing serious concern among experts, due to the effects of climate change.
Last year 398 people in eastern China died from flooding from heavy rains, including twelve trapped in the Zhengzhou subway, the capital of Henan province. This year, since the start of the flood season, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management have allocated 560 million yuan (79.4 million euros) to support areas affected by floods or drought.