Rain-triggered disasters have killed 38 people in Pingyuan County in south China's Guangdong Province, with two others reported missing as of 15:00 Friday, local authorities said.
On June 16, heavy rains battered the county from 8:00 to 20:00, triggering landslides, flooding, and mudflows.
Since the onset of the flood season on April 4, Pingyuan has received a cumulative precipitation of 1,221.6 millimeters, nearly double the average for this period in previous years.
Initial estimates indicate that approximately 55,388 people in the county have been affected, with 2,247 houses collapsed and 3,203 homes severely damaged. The disaster also resulted in the closure of 82 roads, with 4,697 sections collapsed and 356 kilometers of roads damaged.
A total of 6,759 hectares of crops and 452 hectares of fishponds have been affected. The damage extends to communication towers, power supply facilities, water supply projects, and pipelines.
Direct economic losses are estimated at approximately 5.85 billion yuan (about 805.7 million U.S. dollars).
Rescue, disaster relief, and post-disaster reconstruction efforts are underway.
Heavy rains leave 38 dead, 2 missing in south China county
Global trade frictions eased from the same period last year but remained severe in April 2024, according to data released by China's trade promotion body on Friday.
The global economic and trade measures index, introduced by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), stood at 152, down 167 points year on year but up 15 points from the previous month.
The index is a tool used for assessing and measuring the level of economic and trade frictions on a global scale. It serves as an indicator of the degree of trade barriers encountered by countries in their international trade endeavors.
The index looks into trade frictions in 20 countries and regions, including the United States, China, and Japan, and trade-measure usages such as import and export duties, trade remedies, and technical barriers.
The total value of trade involved in global trade friction measures decreased by 23.8 percent year on year and dropped by 11.8 percent month on month, data showed.
"In terms of the sub-index for countries, the United States had the highest total value of trade involved in trade friction measures, while Mexico, India and Brazil ranked top three in the global economic and trade friction index among the 20 countries and regions," said Zhao Ping, a spokeswoman of the CCPIT, at a press conference in Beijing.
In terms of the sub-index for industries, transportation equipment, electronics, mechanical equipment, light industry and chemicals were the main spots of economic and trade frictions. Out of the 13 major industries that are being monitored, the transportation equipment industry had the highest global trade friction index, according to Zhao.
Global trade frictions remain severe in April: data
