10 dead, 27 missing as rain batters SW China
8/22/2019


CHENGDU, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to 10 while 27 remained missing after heavy downpours and mudslides battered a county in southwest China's Sichuan Province, local authorities said Thursday.

One missing person in Wenchuan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, was confirmed dead Thursday, according to the emergency management bureau of Aba.

As of Thursday afternoon, 27 people remained missing after seven were found earlier in the day, said the bureau.

The county police authorities have released names of the missing, calling on the public to offer clues to their whereabouts.

Regions in Wenchuan received precipitation of up to 65 mm on Tuesday, with eight towns being ravaged by flooding and mudslides.

The prefecture has sent 1,630 rescue workers to search for the missing and trapped people after the rain-triggered disasters.

Over 90 percent of residents in Wenchuan were affected. More than 100,000 people require emergency evacuation and emergency life assistance.

Flooding and mudslides have damaged some roads and bridges, and destroyed and inundated over 2,200 houses. They also destroyed drinking water pipelines running more than 115 km, with more than 58,000 people's drinking water service disrupted.

Search and rescue efforts are still underway.