Storms in China kill 15, leave 16 buried after landslide

Thunderstorms, tornadoes and flooding killed 15 people across parts of China and injured hundreds more, state media reported Tuesday. Tens of thousands of residents were evacuated after the storms damaged or destroyed thousands of homes. Thunderstorms and gale-force winds killed at least 11 people and injured 331 in the central province of Hubei, where tornadoes were also reported late Monday.

State media said 4,800 houses were damaged and 22 collapsed during the sudden convective weather. In the southern region of Guangxi, heavy rains from Typhoon Maysak killed at least four people and forced at least 50,000 residents to evacuate. Eight people remained missing after flooding breached dams, prompting officials in the regional capital to raise the flood-control emergency response to its highest level.

Rescue operations The country’s leader urged “all out” rescue efforts on Tuesday.

Rescue teams wearing life vests and helmets searched affected areas, and inflatable boats were deployed in flooded zones. A separate landslide in a village in the north-western province of Gansu buried 33 people Tuesday morning. Seventeen were rescued, and local authorities said they were continuing search efforts while guarding against secondary disasters.

Natural disasters are common in China during summer months. State media noted that at least 22 people died in similar heavy rains in May.