The death toll from the floods in China’s central Henan province last month has risen to over 300 individuals, according to Chinese officials. Roughly 50 people remain missing following the severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall. According to Chinese reports, 13 million people were affected by the flooding and nearly 9,000 homes were damaged as a result of the natural disaster. The majority of the deaths occurred in the city of Zhengzhou, where floodwater was able to infiltrate the city’s subway system and vehicles were swept away in the current. The flooding consisted of an average year’s rainfall coming down within just three days.
The mayor of Zhengzhou confirmed the death toll earlier this week during a conference, reporting that the sharp uptick in deaths was connected to the discovery of 39 dead bodies recovered from underground car parks. Another 14 individuals were killed after water inundated the city’s subway system. Last week, the station was sealed off by authorities and a floral tribute took place.
