BEIJING — Severe flooding in the southwestern region of China has led to significant disruptions, damaging infrastructure and impacting local communities. In Yunnan province, particularly in the mountainous area of the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, the floods have caused substantial damage to civilian infrastructure. As of Sunday, reports indicate that 27 homes have been affected, while 16 bridges have either been damaged or completely destroyed.
Fortunately, there have been no reported casualties or injuries among locals and visitors, even though this area is frequented by tourists. The absence of casualties is particularly noteworthy considering Monday was a national holiday, a time when many people travel.
Landslides resulting from the heavy rains have compounded the situation by obstructing roads, particularly in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The challenging weather conditions, including dense fog, have made rescue operations even more difficult.
As a precautionary measure, authorities successfully evacuated 300 tourists from the Meri Snow Mountain scenic area, a popular tourist attraction within the prefecture. In addition to the tourists, several hundred local residents were relocated to safer areas to minimize risk.
Weather forecasts predict more rainfall in the coming days, raising concerns about further disruptions and the potential need for continued emergency responses.