At least ten people have died in central China as a result of torrential rains that pounded Hunan province, causing hundreds of thousands to flee, according to the AFP's Wednesday report, citing state media.
The downpours, which began on June 1, have reportedly caused the evacuation of roughly 286,000 people, with more than 2,700 dwellings collapsing or severely damaged. In total, ten people have been killed as a result of the bad weather and three were missing as of Wednesday.
Local officials reportedly described the situation by noting that heavy rainfall caused the water level to rise and caused rivers and lakes to overflow their banks. The authorities of the province are said to be responding "actively and making every effort to prevent (disasters)."
Authorities have reportedly delivered tents, foldable beds, food, and clothing to the affected areas.
In central and southern China, where the humid summer brings heavy rains, floods are a regular occurrence. Last year, China saw its worst floods in a decade, with deluges in the central regions killing over 300 people. Floods and mudslides killed dozens of people in Zhengzhou, the worst-affected city, where citizens were trapped in subway trains, underground parking garages, and tunnels.