At least 14 dead in China after heavy rains cause landslide, dam overflow

At least 14 fatalities were reported in southern China Saturday following torrential flooding that caused massive landslides and a dam overflow, the Associated Press reported.

Soldiers and workers constructed makeshift barriers along the Yangtze River using sandbags and rocks as floodgates of the Three Gorges Dam were opened due to floodwaters rising over 50 feet, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The dam was holding back nearly 45 percent of the water, the report added.

China National Emergency Broadcasting announced that over 20,000 people were evacuated, and 1,031 homes were destroyed from the floods.

The heavy rains on Friday also resulted in landslides in Dunhao, a mountainous town in Chongquing, killing six.

Three more were killed in the nearby Hubei province, according to a social media post from the region’s emergency management department.

The aftermath of the floods was broadcasted by CCTV, showing residents in the city of Enshi cleaning up muddy streets and shops after the floods on Friday.

Rescue workers used inflatable rafts to save over 1,900 who were trapped in their homes and buildings in the way of the floodwaters.

According to Xinhua, the overflowing waters were said to peak on Saturday behind the Three Gorges Dam, although more rain is forecasted to hit the area Tuesday.

The seasonal rains, which are reportedly unusually high this year, were estimated to incur direct losses of more than 49 billion yuan ($7 billion), the Ministry of Emergency Management said.