Rescuers found more dead bodies in the last few hours and continue to search for the missing, although hopes of finding survivors are diminishing.

The flash floods occurred at dawn on Thursday in the Datong county and were particularly destructive since the soil is oversaturated and a large amount of mud, rocks and stones were washed down from the mountains along with the water.

The solid sediments caused rivers to overflow and, as a consequence, at least two entire buildings, other houses, several roads and bridges were destroyed.

Local authorities mobilized more than two thousand emergency personnel and 160 vehicles in search and rescue operations, while the provincial government allocated 7.3 million dollars to finance these tasks, the repair of public infrastructure and the 1,517 damaged houses, along with the relocation of the 6,245 victims.

The authorities are vigilant because rains in northern regions can trigger floods, mountain torrents and landslides. They are also working to mitigate the impact of the worst drought in decades in central-southern provinces that caused the evaporation of the water of multiple rivers, including many sections of the Yangtze.

This phenomenon affects the supply to millions of people and threatens both autumn crops and livestock, electricity service and tourism.

pgh/llp/ro/ymr