Heavy rains in central China leave 5 dead, 11 missing

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BEIJING: Torrential rains in central China's Hunan Province have claimed the lives of at least five people, while 11 others remain missing after catastrophic flash floods and landslides struck the region.

The disaster, triggered by the remnants of recent tropical storms, primarily affected Zixing City, where record-breaking precipitation overwhelmed local infrastructure and communication networks.

Local authorities reported that the extreme weather severed road access to numerous villages and knocked out power supplies for thousands of residents. In response, emergency search-and-rescue operations have been mobilized, with teams working through debris and mud to locate the missing and restore critical services.

Preliminary assessments indicate the rainfall exceeded historical records in some areas, causing widespread damage to residential property and agricultural land. Chinese officials have raised emergency response levels, emphasising the urgency of protecting vulnerable populations amid forecasted additional precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.