10 killed, 18 missing due to heavy rain in Hebei province

As of Saturday afternoon, the recent heavy rainfall in Baoding city, Hebei province, has resulted in 10 deaths and 18 missing, according to local authorities.

The number of affected people in Baoding has reached 1.1 million, with 627,000 individuals being urgently relocated from high-risk areas.

Caused by the Typhoon Doksuri, the strong rainfall in Baoding led to an average precipitation of 353.1 millimeters, with the maximum daily precipitation reaching 419.7mm, which has surpassed the historical record of 400.08mm in the city.

The prolonged duration and large cumulative rainfall has resulted in flooding in all of Baoding's 22 counties. A total of 284 bridges have been damaged, with over 550 kilometers of rural roads severely affected. The direct economic losses have reached 16.995 billion yuan, said the local authority.

Baoding government is currently enhancing the inspection and early warning system for geological hazards such as landslides and mudslides. Efforts are being focused on investigating and addressing risk-prone sections of rivers and medium-sized reservoirs to prevent secondary disasters. The authorities are making every effort to restore normal production and living conditions as soon as possible.