The torrential rains in Zhengzhou city in the central province of Henan in China led to widespread flooding. The Bloomberg news agency reported that due to the heavy rains at least 12 people lost their lives in the devastating flood.
The state-run press China Xinhua News agency showed commuters in deep water inside metro line in Zhengzhou city. The heavy rains in Central China damaged dams, collapsed buildings, and caused landslides. A thousand homes are submerged.
China witnessed such heavy downpour in 1000 years. The Zhengzhou city recorded rainfall from Saturday to Tuesday nearly similar to what it records as the annual average in the city. The devastating flood killed 12 subway passengers.
The state-run press agency reported that 1.24 million people in the country are affected by the catastrophic situation. More than 1 lakh people are evacuated, while 7 are still missing. The country’s infrastructure like the subway, streets, hotels, and transport are waterlogged.
Meteorologists predict more rains in the Henan province in the upcoming days. Chinese president Xi Jinping deployed soldiers for the rescue operations. The Zhengzhou city’s largest Hospital lost power supply and in an emergency situation, 600 critical patients were transported to a safer place. Railways and flights have been suspended and canceled respectively. President Xi Jinping expressed his concern over the alarming situation in the country.
Last year, nearly 53 rivers witnessed high water levels. Chinese authorities have warned that the Three Gorges Dam on the upper Yangtze, the world’s largest hydroelectric dam, is facing the largest flood peak. Now as climate change is worsening, the uneven weather events reinstate the fears of the collapse of the structural integrity of the Three Gorges Dam.
The rapid urbanization due to development has contributed to the changing weather patterns. Urban development with low-density housing increases the risk of water buildup on the surface during heavy downpours this causes excessive flooding because it restricts the water drainage.