Heavy Rainfall in China Claims 21 Lives

Five cities in China's central Hubei province have declared a red alert after torrential rains resulted in the deaths of 21 people and prompted the evacuation of nearly 6,000 residents, reports Reuters.

More than 2,700 homes and shops have been damaged by the flooding, and power supplies, transportation, and mobile communication systems have been disrupted.

On Thursday evening, water levels in 774 reservoirs across Hubei province rose, raising fears of additional flooding. The extreme weather conditions have led to widespread power outages and have damaged over 3,600 homes and 8,110 hectares of crops. The total losses are estimated at 108 million yuan (16.67 million dollars).

China’s meteorological service has warned that heavy rainfall is likely to continue into next week, with regions along the Yangtze River at high risk of flooding.