Rain and flood caused huge devastation in China, 12 people died; Thousands of people forced to leave their homes

New Delhi. Heavy rains and floods hit parts of China this week, according to government media reports. At least 12 people have died in this. At the same time, thousands of people had to leave their homes and go to safe places.

Five people died after heavy rains hit Shimen county in central China’s Hunan province, state broadcaster CCTV said on Wednesday. At the same time, 11 people are missing. The rescue operation is going on. According to China’s official news agency Xinhua, more than 19,000 people had been evacuated by Tuesday evening.

A total of 339 millimeters (about 13 inches) of rainfall was recorded in the county in the past 24 hours as of 7 a.m. Monday, Xinhua said. It also reported that one of its towns received 240 millimeters (about 9 inches) of rain in a matter of hours, breaking historical records.

In nearby Hubei province, some roads turned into rivers. Rescue teams had to use inflatable boats to help stranded residents. Some houses were submerged or collapsed, Xinhua reported. As of Tuesday morning, three people were dead and four others were missing.

CCTV also reported Tuesday that four people have died and five others are missing due to heavy rains and flooding in southwestern China’s Guizhou province. According to CCTV, houses were submerged in some areas, roads were damaged. At the same time, the communication system was disrupted. Xinhua reported that more than 3,700 people had to be displaced from one area. Additionally, 10 people died after a pickup truck fell off a bridge in the southern region of Guangxi on Saturday, Xinhua reported.