8 dead, 4 missing as flash floods hit northern China

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) – Eight people have died and four others remain missing after a flash flood swept through a wild camping site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region late Saturday, according to state-run Xinhua news agency on Sunday.

The disaster took place around 10 pm (1400GMT) on Saturday in the upstream area of a river in Urad Rear Banner, Bayannur City, leaving 13 campers unaccounted for, the agency reported, citing the banner's publicity department.

By 10 am (0200GMT) on Sunday, one individual was rescued, eight were confirmed dead, and four were still missing. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing.

The development came as China issued renewed weather warnings on Saturday for rainstorms, mountain torrents, and geological disasters in multiple regions.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued a blue alert for heavy rainfall expected from Saturday to Sunday in parts of Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan.

A yellow alert for mountain torrents was issued for Shandong and Hainan by the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

Additionally, a yellow alert for geological disaster risks was raised for Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Yunnan, and Shaanxi. Local authorities have been urged to take precautionary measures.

China’s weather warnings follow a four-tier system, with red being the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.