THE death toll from catastrophic flooding in southern China’s Guangxi region has risen to 39, with nine people still missing as residents continue recovery efforts following one of the area’s worst flood disasters in decades.
Chinese state media reported that 26 deaths were linked to the collapse of Liulan Reservoir, while seven people remain unaccounted for in the affected area.
The disaster has caused widespread destruction across Guangxi, where torrential rain and severe flooding have damaged homes, cut off communities and forced thousands of residents to take part in emergency evacuation and recovery efforts.
On Thursday, access roads leading to Liulan were blocked as rescue personnel, volunteers and members of the Chinese People’s Militia travelled towards the affected village to assist with relief operations.
Residents told reporters that Liulan was not the only reservoir affected, with another smaller reservoir near the town of Gantang also collapsing amid the extreme weather.
Local resident Huang said many people initially underestimated the severity of the flooding as such an event had never occurred in living memory.
"We never received any warning. If we had received a warning, our losses would have been much less," AFP quoted him saying.
Another resident, Bi Yunchun, described the scale of the disaster as unprecedented, saying floodwaters had reached the second floor of homes in an event unseen for hundreds of years.
"In several hundred years, this is the first time the water has reached the second floor... Never before in history," he said.
Floodwaters have since receded in Liulan, but thick layers of mud remain across streets and homes as residents continue cleaning up their damaged properties.
Residents were seen using excavators to remove destroyed household belongings, while rescue teams deployed large drones carrying food and supplies to communities still isolated by floodwaters.
Around 600 residents from Dutian village, located near the collapsed reservoir, were safely sheltered but remained cut off from surrounding areas, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Several houses in Dutian were severely damaged by the flood surge, with some reduced to their foundations. Authorities said many residents managed to evacuate after receiving warnings before the flooding intensified.
The disaster has also affected local wildlife. The Guigang Zoo appealed for public assistance after at least 100 animals, including alpacas, miniature pigs and zebras, escaped when their enclosures were damaged by floodwaters.
In Hengzhou city, local officials said between 800 and 900 snakes escaped from a breeding facility after it was washed away by the floods.
As recovery operations continue in Guangxi, China is preparing for another weather threat with Super Typhoon Bavi approaching the eastern region.
State media reported that Bavi is expected to pass near Taiwan on July 11 before making landfall or approaching China’s Fujian and Zhejiang provinces later the same day.
The National Meteorological Centre warned that the storm, which spans more than 1,000 kilometres in diameter, could bring heavy to torrential rainfall across northern and northeastern China over the following three days.
Authorities have warned residents to remain vigilant as multiple regions continue to face heightened risks from extreme weather events. - July 9, 2026
