Photo:Li Hao/GT

Death toll caused by the unprecedented heavy rainfall in Central China's Henan Province has risen to 33, with eight people still missing, local emergency management bureau said on Thursday. 

And, the neighboring regions of the capital city of Zhengzhou were pummeled by a new round of downpours on Wednesday and Thursday. 

A total of 376,000 people have been safely evacuated, said the bureau. The affected area of crops reached 215,000 hectares, causing a direct economic loss of about 1.22 billion yuan. 

The provincial bureau of meteorology issued two red alerts early Thursday, warning a new round of heavy rainfall could batter cities, including Zhengzhou, Anyang, Jiaozuo, Xinxiang, and three others. 

The maximum precipitation in Xinxiang from Saturday to Thursday morning reached 907mm. The heaviest hourly precipitation was 149.9 mm and the heaviest two-hour precipitation was 267.4 mm in the province, according to the flood prevention and relief department of Xinxiang city.

Affected by the torrential rain, seven medium-sized reservoirs in Xinxiang are swelling and even overflowing, endangering 460,000 people in 58 towns and villages there, local media reported. The city has dispatched more than 76,000 people and 1521 vehicles for disaster relief and rescue.

Heavy rainfall continues to pour in Anyang on Thursday, resulting in serious waterlogging in its urban area. Local rescue teams have dispatched 9 vehicles and 60 police forces to Anyang for emergency rescue. They have safely evacuated 73,722 local residents.

The hidden perils at Guojiazui Reservoir, nearing the capital city of Zhengzhou, was cleared at 6 am on Thursday, according to water conservancy authorities of Henan .

The working group of the State General Administration of Flood Prevention and Control led by Zhou Wenxue, vice minister of Ministry of Emergency and Ministry of Water Resources, urged the province to check all reservoirs there for possible loopholes to ensure their safety during the coming rainy days.

The Changzhuang Reservoir, also near the city of Zhengzhou that was in emergency, began to discharge flood water from Wednesday night and is now declared stable as its water level has dropped, the Ministry of Water Resources said. 

Global Times