HONG KONG (Reuters) – Seven people died after being swept away by a sudden surge of water at a dam in China’s southwestern Sichuan province, state media reported on Wednesday, in a tragic incident following widespread flooding.
China has seen an unusually wet and rainy summer season with massive floods in the north and northeast provinces, such as Hebei where more than 1.5 million people evacuated last week.
The Sichuan incident, reported by Jimu News, took place at a water conservation spot at the Yulin Dam of the Longxi River in the province’s Yucheng district. More than ten people were taking pictures as the water levels surged and washed them away, Jimu said.
Four people have so far been rescued, Jimu said, citing the local Bureau of Culture and Tourism. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
China has seen record-breaking rains since late July as the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri moved inland, battering northern China and causing massive floods, disrupting the lives of millions.
Doksuri hit northern China on July 29 and drifted to the northeast a few days later. It made landfall in Fujian on July 28.
(Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom; editing by Christina Fincher)
