Over 4,000 relocated as floods terrorize Zhenba county

More than 4,500 people have been relocated as of Sunday in Zhenba county of Hanzhong, Shaanxi province, after mountain torrents triggered by intense rainfall hit the region over the weekend, local authorities said. No casualties have been reported.

The publicity department of Hanzhong said in a statement that heavy rain occurred in Zhenba on Saturday night to early Sunday morning, with several townships having experienced rains of more than 100 millimeters within 3 hours.

As a result, 80 roads in Zhenba were damaged and out of service. A total of 66 houses were damaged, including eight that collapsed. A total of 4,533 people from 1,795 households have been relocated as of 4:30 pm on Sunday. More than 5,600 people were affected. The county expected the economic loss to hit 120 million yuan ($16.6 million).

Hanzhong initiated emergency response for flooding and has dispatched rescue and resettlement personnel and materials to the area to conduct relevant missions. The Shaanxi Meteorological Station renewed its alert for heavy rains and warned that the area is prone to geological hazards.