China's Zhejiang region hit by landslides
Over 30 people are missing following two landslides in China's eastern Zhejiang province. The landslides were triggered by rains from Typhoon Megi, which hit China on 28 September after battering Taiwan. From 27 September, flights have been cancelled, around 180,000 people across Zhejiang have been relocated and schools and offices closed. As we have noted, China is being hit by large-scale flooding this year causing deaths and collapsing infrastructure, partly due to overbuilding and lack of regulation, resulting in its citizens dying when extreme weather hits. Critics say local governments, particularly those frequently hit coastal provinces in China’s east, misallocate funding or fail to spend enough on defences against floods and other issues caused by heavy rain.

Two landslides have ploughed into villages in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, swallowing up dozens of houses and leaving more than 30 people missing.



Heavy typhoon rains caused one landslide to crash into Sucun village on Wednesday, said the official Xinhua news agency.

Rescuers had pulled 15 people from the mud but 27 were still missing, according to state media. Another six people were missing in Baofeng village after a landslide destroyed their homes.

Last month, the official People’s Daily newspaper reported that the region where the landslides occurred had in recent years prioritised landslide and flood defences.

Critics say local governments, especially in the frequently hit coastal provinces in China’s east, misallocate funding or fail to spend enough on defences against floods and other problems caused by heavy rain.

In Sucun, a mass of debris rolled down a lush mountain toward the small village, according to images posted by local state media on their official Weibo microblogs.

Earlier on Wednesday, China shut schools and cancelled dozens of flights as Typhoon Megi made landfall in the southern province of Fujian on Wednesday with winds of close to 120kph (75mph), Xinhua said.

A pedestrian walks on waterlogged streets in Fuzhou, China. Typhoon Megi has brought torrential rains to the province. Photograph: Feature China / Barcroft Images

Megi, which has killed four people and injured more than 523 in Taiwan since roaring in from the Pacific, made landfall at 4:40am local time (2040 GMT Tuesday). Chinese authorities issued their third-highest severe weather warning in anticipation of the storm.

Xinhua said more than 120,000 people who work close to shore or at sea have been moved by Fujian authorities. The province’s 31,700 fishing boats have been recalled to port to avoid the high winds.

China Southern Airlines said it had cancelled 24 flights beginning from Tuesday.

An aerial view of the flooding in Fujian province. Photograph: Feature China / Barcroft Images

More than 14,700 people were evacuated in Taiwan, while millions lost power and hundreds of thousands of homes were without water.

Typhoons are common at this time of year, picking up strength as they cross warm Pacific waters and bringing fierce winds and rain when they reach land.

Large swathes of China have been inundated with rain and battered by typhoons over the past few months, killing hundreds of people.