Skip to main content

Storms in China kill at least 18

BEIJING (AP) — Heavy rains have killed at least 18 people in southern China and a state news agency said six more were missing Thursday after a landslide.

Southern China was also bracing for the arrival of Typhoon Rammasun, with wind gales expected to reach up to 150 kph (90 mph).

The government’s Xinhua News Agency said lightning strikes killed six people in Jiangxi province. Three days of rains in neighboring Hunan province triggered landslides that killed five, and another seven deaths were reported in Guizhou province.

Also in Guizhou, a landslide buried a village near the city of Bijie, leaving six people missing.

Flooding also has hit the southwestern province of Yunnan and the southern region of Guangxi. Chinese state television showed flooding threatening the ancient city of Fenghuang in Hunan province, with a historic arched bridge barely emerging from floodwaters.

The rains cut off power to nearly 300,000 homes in the cities of Tongren, Zunyi and Bijie, Xinhua reported. The rains reached the capital, Beijing, on Wednesday night and flooded some streets.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
Read Next Story