Death toll from north-west China floods rises to 13

Flash floods and severe mudslides have caused significant devastation in China's northwestern Gansu province. The disaster, which began on August 7, has tragically resulted in at least 13 deaths, with three more bodies recently recovered. At least 30 people are still missing, and a rescue official described the situation as "complex." This is due to a combination of heavy mud, rough roads, and the loss of telephone and electricity lines. In the mountainous Xinglong area, where 4,000 people were initially trapped, hundreds have been rescued, and thousands more have been evacuated.

China's Broader Struggle with Extreme Weather
The article contextualizes this event within a larger pattern of natural disasters across China. Such events are common during the summer months, when some regions face heavy rain and others endure extreme heat. In response to the crisis in Gansu, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the "utmost effort" in rescue operations, and Beijing's top economic planner has allocated 100 million yuan for relief efforts.

This year, other parts of the country have also been hit by torrential downpours. In the south, tens of thousands of people were evacuated in Guangdong province. In the north, heavy rain in Beijing in July killed 44 people, with an additional eight deaths from a landslide in nearby Hebei province. In anticipation of more bad weather, authorities have activated a flood response plan and issued a yellow alert for several provinces, including Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, and Chongqing.

The Role of Climate Change
The article concludes by linking these severe weather events to global climate change. Scientists are warning that the intensity and frequency of these disasters will likely increase as the planet continues to warm due to fossil fuel emissions. The article notes that while China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, it is also a global leader in renewable energy.