Flooding in northwest China results in fatalities climbing to 13 individuals
Heavy Flooding and Mudslides in Gansu Province, China
China is currently grappling with severe flash floods and mudslides in Gansu province, particularly affecting Yuzhong County and surrounding mountainous areas. The disasters, triggered by heavy rainfall since early August 2025, have resulted in at least 13 confirmed deaths and about 30 people still missing.
Nearly 10,000 residents have been evacuated, and more than 4,000 were temporarily stranded due to damaged roads and disrupted communications caused by the floods and mud torrents. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with teams working tirelessly to clear debris, restore electricity and communications, and provide aid to stranded residents. Temporary passages have been created to reach isolated villages, and emergency services continue the search for missing persons despite the challenging conditions caused by mud and rugged terrain.
In response to this disaster, Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue efforts, emphasizing the priority of saving lives, relocating evacuees, and restoring infrastructure. He also urged officials to remain vigilant, as extreme weather events become more frequent due to climate change. The government has allocated 100 million yuan (approximately $14 million) specifically for Gansu’s disaster relief operations, alongside a much larger national disaster relief fund exceeding 6 billion yuan allocated since April 2025.
The floods have caused severe damage to roads, power, communications, and farmland in the affected areas. In some regions, more than half the annual average precipitation has fallen within a 24-hour period, highlighting the vulnerability of Gansu’s loess plateau soil and mountainous geography to heavy rainfall-induced floods and landslides.
Elsewhere in China, heavy rains have persisted, prompting authorities to announce yellow alerts for torrential rains in Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, and Chongqing. These provinces have activated a flood response plan as a precautionary measure.
This disaster in Gansu province serves as a stark reminder of the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change. As China continues to be a global renewable energy powerhouse, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change are more critical than ever.
[1] Xinhua News Agency. (2025, August 6). Heavy rain triggers floods, landslides in northwest China's Gansu. Retrieved from https://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2025-08/06/c_138089725.htm
[2] China Daily. (2025, August 7). Gansu floods leave 13 dead, 30 missing. Retrieved from https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202508/07/WS610e8394a310825383337265.html
[3] People's Daily. (2025, August 7). Xi Jinping orders all-out rescue efforts in Gansu. Retrieved from http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0807/c90000-9818091.html
[4] South China Morning Post. (2025, August 7). Gansu floods: At least 13 dead, 30 missing as thousands evacuated. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3161681/gansu-floods-at-least-13-dead-30-missing-thousands-evacuated
[5] Reuters. (2025, August 7). China's Xi orders all-out rescue efforts after floods kill at least 13 in Gansu province. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-xi-orders-all-out-rescue-efforts-after-floods-kill-at-least-13-gansu-2025-08-07/
[1] The environmental-science community is closely following the heavy flooding and mudslides in Gansu Province, China, to understand the impact of these weather events on the general-news landscape and the environment.
[2] As China struggles with the aftermath of the disasters in Gansu Province, climate-change experts are also analyzing the data to assess whether extreme precipitation is becoming more frequent as a result of global warming, highlighting the importance of strengthening environmental-science research in the prevention and mitigation of such disasters.
