A region in northwest China battling floods and landslides braced for more rain on Thursday as the chances of finding people buried underneath mud and rubble appeared to be fading.
Moderate rain fell on Wednesday in a part of northwestern China’s Gansu Province, slowing efforts to find survivors and to deliver food and other aid to survivors who have lost homes from the floods.
Heavier rain was forecast for the area for the rest of the week, the China Meteorological Association said. Nearly 2.5 inches was expected to fall in some parts of Gansu on Thursday, and lighter rain was expected into the weekend, the agency said.
Heavy rains set off a landslide last weekend that wiped away large blocks of homes in Zhouqu County in the province. The debris poured into a river and dammed the waterway, causing it to flood and submerge parts of the area.
At least 1,117 people were killed in the region and more than 600 people still listed as missing, according to the Xinhua state news agency. In addition to destroying homes, the flooding and debris has damaged communication networks, and water and power supplies.
Earlier this week the government said the best chance for finding survivors was in the 72 hours following the disaster.
Flooding across China this year has hit 28 provinces and is the worst in the country in a decade, according to the government. More than a million homes have been damaged in the nation, and more than $30 billion in damage has been caused by the floods, the government said. IHT
