BEIJING: Thunderstorms and strong winds have killed at least 15 people, injured 275 and left nine others missing in central China, state media reported on Tuesday, while heavy rain and flooding claimed two more lives in the south.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for "all-out" rescue operations after storms and flooding in central and southern China left at least 15 people dead and forced tens of thousands to evacuate.
Xi stressed "the need to go all out in organising emergency rescue operations, treating the injured, resettling affected residents, and carrying out disaster prevention and relief work effectively", state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Several areas in Hubei province were hit by "severe convective weather" on Monday, according to CCTV.
"Thunderstorms and strong winds swept through" cities including Huangshi and Huanggang, killing eight people, it said.
Tornadoes were reported in some areas, and one person remains missing.
The severe weather injured 275 people in Huanggang's Huangzhou district as of Tuesday morning, state news agency Xinhua reported, without providing details on the severity of their injuries.
Authorities also evacuated 408 residents to safer areas, it added.
"Rescue and relief efforts are under way," Xinhua said.
Meanwhile, heavy rain and severe flooding triggered by Typhoon Maysak killed at least two people in the southern Guangxi region and forced the evacuation of at least 48,000 people by Monday evening.
Officials in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, raised the flood-control emergency response to its highest level after torrential rain caused dams to overflow.
The rain caused part of a reservoir dam to collapse. Dramatic footage aired by CCTV showed torrents of muddy water surging through the breached concrete structure.
Elsewhere in the region, homes and cars were partially submerged by floodwaters.
Rescue workers wearing life jackets and helmets were seen using inflatable boats to search for stranded residents.
Scientists warn that the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will continue to increase as the planet warms due to greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.
China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. However, it is also a global leader in renewable energy and has pledged to make its economy carbon-neutral by 2060.
