Flood in Tongwei county, Dingxi city, Northwest China's Gansu Province Photo: screenshot from the Beijing News

Heavy rainfall in Tongwei county, Northwest China's Gansu Province has killed one person, destroyed seven houses and impacted 30 people as the maximum cumulative rainfall in the area exceeded 297 millimeters as of 8 am on Tuesday.

Preliminary reports suggest that the disaster has affected one local township, four villages, three communities, 7 households, and 30 people in Tongwei County. Detailed information on the disaster is still being compiled, according to the state-owned broadcaster CCTV.

Rainfall in the area remains unabated, and flood control and drought relief headquarters in Tongwei has already activated a level III flood control and flood prevention emergency response . Local officials are stationed at the frontline of flood control and flood prevention, and are organizing hazard inspections, mass evacuations, and other related work, the media outlet reported on Tuesday.

On Tuesday early morning, the Gansu provincial departments of water resources and meteorology jointly issued an orange weather warning for mountain flood disasters. 

The Gansu provincial department of natural resources has raised the geological disaster risk warning level to orange in some areas of Pingliang, Qingyang, and Dingxi in the province; and to yellow in some areas of Linxia, Gannan, Tianshui, Lanzhou, and Baiyin. 

Also on Tuesday early morning, the Gansu provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters activated a level IV emergency response for flood control and flood prevention at the provincial level.

It is expected that there will continue to be heavy rain or torrential rain in most parts of eastern Gansu until 8 pm on Wednesday. It is necessary to closely monitor the rainfall, water levels, and flood situation, and strengthen the defense against floods in small and medium-sized rivers and mountain torrents, provincial authorities warned.

Global Times