Storms and heavy rains that hit parts of China have caused at least 15 deaths and hundreds of injuries, while tens of thousands of citizens have had to be evacuated from their homes, according to a new death toll reported by state media today.
In Hubei (central China), which was hit by "storms and strong winds," authorities reported 11 dead and one missing, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Four people have died and eight are missing in Guangxi (south), where extreme rainfall and flooding have occurred and where more than 50.000 citizens have had to be urgently evacuated from their homes, according to state television CCTV.
So-called natural disasters of this kind are tragically common in China, especially in the summer, when some areas are hit by heavy rainfall, while others suffocate due to heat waves.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "everything to be done" in the ongoing search and rescue operations. "Everything must be done to urgently organize rescue operations, provide care for the injured and shelter the affected, as well as carry out effective prevention work," he stressed, according to CCTV.
Scientists warn that the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events on a global scale will progressively worsen as the planet overheats due to gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
China is the country with the largest greenhouse gas emissions on Earth; however, the world's second-largest economy is also at the top of renewable energy production and expresses the ambition to achieve climate neutrality by 2060.
Source: protothema.gr
