NANNING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Severe flooding triggered by Typhoon Maysak in early July has left 159 people dead and 10 missing in two cities in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local authorities announced on Friday.
The flooding, caused by torrential rains brought by the typhoon, affected more than 1.65 million people in Nanning, the regional capital, and Guigang, another city in this region, according to post-disaster recovery and construction work conferences held in the two cities.
These two cities have shifted their focus to post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, as well as enhancing disaster prevention, mitigation and relief capacities.
Participants at the conferences observed a moment of silence to honor the victims.
Guangxi was battered by historically rare, extensive and prolonged heavy rainfall in early July as Typhoon Maysak swept through the region, resulting in severe flooding.
The floods hit 90 townships and subdistricts across 11 counties, districts and county-level cities in Nanning, impacting 579,700 residents. Of those, 23,300 were evacuated to safety, while 78,300 were moved to temporary shelters, local authorities said.
Following door-to-door investigations, cross-verifications and comparative assessments by the police, 136 fatalities and 10 missing persons had been confirmed across the city as of Thursday. The breaches of the Liulan and Yunbiao reservoirs alone accounted for 107 deaths and 7 missing.
In Guigang, 1.073 million people in five counties, districts and county-level cities have been affected by the floods. Authorities have evacuated 205,000, relocated 15,000 to shelters, and confirmed 23 fatalities.
Under the current plan, Nanning aims to restore basic order within six months and complete the main post-disaster reconstruction tasks in about a year. Guigang, meanwhile, will focus on urban flooding and reservoir safety as it works to return to normalcy as soon as possible. ■
