Torrential Rain Brings Destruction to Northern China’s Heart

The torrential rain that has devastated northern China has left a trail of destruction in its wake, with the collapse of a bridge in Shangluo, Shaanxi province, taking the lives of 11 people and leaving over 30 missing. The sudden downpour, which prompted flash floods, caused the bridge to buckle, with nearly 20 vehicles and more than 30 people still unaccounted for. The 11 confirmed victims were found inside five vehicles that had been recovered from the water, according to CCTV.

The bridge, which spanned a river, was partially submerged with water rushing over it, as captured in images on state TV. A witness who approached the bridge recalled that others started yelling at him to brake and stop his car, as he was about to cross the bridge. “A truck in front of me didn’t stop and fell into the water,” he recounted.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “all-out efforts” to find those still missing, and rescue operations are ongoing. The region has been battered by rains since Tuesday, causing flooding and significant damage. In Baoji city, at least five people have died and eight are missing after rain led to flooding and mudslides.

Other affected areas include the semi-desert province of Gansu, which neighbours Shaanxi, and Henan in central China, where the equivalent of a year’s worth of rain fell at the start of the week. In south-western Sichuan province, two people were reported killed and seven missing on Friday after heavy rain triggered landslides.

China is experiencing an unusual summer of extreme weather, with the east and south experiencing heavy rain while much of the north has sweltered in successive heatwaves. Climate experts warn that the climate crisis is making these types of extreme weather events more frequent and intense. The country has seen its fair share of disasters this summer, including a highway collapse in southern China in May, which left 48 dead, and a tornado that struck a town in eastern China earlier this month, killing one, injuring 79, and causing significant damage.