Fifteen people were killed after a devastating mudslide hit a homestay house in a tourist area in southeastern China on Sunday. The disaster occurred as heavy rains, remnants of Tropical Storm Gaemi, drenched the region, state media reported.
In a separate incident, a delivery person on a scooter was killed Saturday in Shanghai. The individual was struck by a falling tree, which appeared to have been brought down by storm-related winds, according to The Paper, a digital news outlet.
These fatalities mark the first in China linked to Typhoon Gaemi, which weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall on Thursday. Prior to reaching China, Gaemi intensified monsoon rains in the Philippines, resulting in at least 34 deaths and sweeping across the island of Taiwan, where the death toll has risen to 10, authorities stated on Saturday.
The catastrophic mudslide struck the homestay house shortly after 8 a.m. and trapped 21 people in Yuelin, a village under the jurisdiction of Hengyang city in Hunan province. State broadcaster CCTV provided a series of online reports detailing the event. Approximately 30 centimeters (12 inches) of rain were recorded in the area over a 24-hour period.
Six injured people were rescued and taken to a hospital for treatment, as confirmed by the official Xinhua News Agency. The reports did not specify the severity of the injuries.
The affected house, located near Hengshan, a well-known scenic area where tourists often escape the summer heat, offered food and accommodation. The Paper noted that the scenic area had been closed starting Saturday due to the heavy rains, even before the disaster struck.
Officials stated that the mudslide was triggered by water rushing down the mountain following the intense rains. Although the authorities did not directly link the event to Gaemi, the China Meteorological Administration confirmed that heavy rain tied to the storm hit the region late Friday night and continued into Saturday.
