Ian Patrick, FISM News
China reported that the death toll from heavy flooding experienced last month is more than previously thought, rising from 99 to 302.
FISM News previously reported on the deadly flooding in the Henan province and the amount of damage it caused to the city of Zhengzhou in particular. At the time, the floods killed 25 people and stranded multiple others in the city. The total number of deaths reported now in the city stands at 292. The remaining 10 people were killed by the floods outside of the city.
50 people are still reported to be missing, 47 of which are assumed to be located in Zhenghou.
The floods were triggered by three days of rain totaling 24.3 inches, which is close to the amount of rain the area sees within one year.
Reuters reports that the Henan province experienced $18 billion in losses from flood damage and approximately 1.5 million acres of farmland affected. A local Chinese news source reports that China’s State Council is putting together an investigative team to determine if city officials neglected the posts and could be held in any way liable.
As if the floods weren’t enough, Zhengzhou also reported 32 Delta variant COVID-19 cases on Saturday as cities push for more testing.