Death toll from central China floods rises to 5
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China has been enduring extreme weather conditions in recent months, from torrential rainfall to searing heatwaves.
PHOTO: AFP
BEIJING - The death toll from mountain floods in central China has risen to five, state media reported on June 25, as the country braces itself through a summer of extreme weather.
Record rainfall struck hilly Hunan province on June 22, leading to “severe waterlogging” and sudden deluges, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Citing “relevant authorities”, state broadcaster CCTV said on June 25 that a person missing after inundations in Yuanling county had been found dead, bringing the number of fatalities to five. The toll had stood at four as at the afternoon of June 24.
China has been enduring extreme weather conditions in recent months, from torrential rainfall to searing heatwaves.
The country is the leading emitter of greenhouse gases, which scientists say drive climate change and make extreme weather events more frequent and intense.
Persistent downpours are forecast across a swathe of central, eastern and southern China until June 27, according to the weather office.
An extreme heat alert was in place in the capital Beijing on June 25, with temperatures forecast to exceed 35 deg C. AFP
