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Catastrophe

Heavy rain triggers mass evacuation in China

September 1, 2018

Chinese authorities have evacuated 127,000 people due to downpours in the southern Guangdong province, with rain destroying homes and ruining swaths of farmland. Casualties have also been reported.

https://p.dw.com/p/348r7
A map of China with Guangdong province

At least two people have been killed and 43 houses destroyed as heavy rains lash southern China, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday, citing local authorities.

The downpour affected more than 1.2 million people in Guangdong province, and 127,000 have already been moved to around 1,800 emergency shelters in the area. The damage has been estimated at over 1 billion yuan ($146 million, €126 million).

Local officials also said that 44,700 hectares (110,456 acres) of farmland had been destroyed.

China has faced several waves of torrential rain and thunderstorms this year, including Typhoon Ewinar which hit the same southern region in June. The typhoon caused landslides that killed five people. Last August, Typhoon Hato killed at least 26 across southern mainland China and Hong Kong.

dj/rc (Reuters, dpa)