China floods kill 39, snakes escape

Authorities in southern China said on Thursday that 39 people had died after days of heavy rain from Tropical Storm Maysak flooded parts of Guangxi, breached reservoirs and stranded residents in homes and other buildings. Ding Wei, Nanning's vice mayor, said at a news briefing that 26 of the deaths were linked to a dam breach east of the regional capital. State media and local reports said floodwaters also damaged snake-breeding farms in Hengzhou, sending hundreds of snakes, including cobras, into nearby villages. Taiwan and China's east coast were meanwhile preparing for Typhoon Bavi, which forecasters said could make landfall in the coming days. ### Where did most of the deaths occur? Hengzhou, a county-level city administered by Nanning, was the center of the deadliest flooding after a partial reservoir dam collapse sent water into surrounding areas, according to NBC News and AP reporting carried by regional outlets. Ding said 26 people were killed in the breach, accounting for most of the 39 confirmed deaths across Guangxi. (northeastnow.com) Nine people remained missing in the region, according to the same Thursday briefing. Guangxi authorities said Maysak brought record rainfall starting on Saturday, overwhelming reservoirs and forcing rescue operations as roads were cut off. Ding said repairs were continuing and electricity had been restored to more than 60,000 homes after the storm. ### How did snakes become part of the disaster? (nbcnews.com) Hengzhou is known for snake breeding, and floodwater damaged farms in low-lying areas, allowing captive snakes to escape, according to local and state-linked reports. Global Times said about 900 snakes, including venomous cobras, got out after a farm in a village in Hengzhou was hit by flooding. China Daily said villagers reported that smaller farms had been inundated and that some of the escaped animals were venomous species such as cobras. (northeastnow.com) Videos circulated by Chinese media showed residents using nets to catch snakes in muddy water, while local authorities warned villagers to avoid floodwater and report sightings. NBC News reported that officials were dealing with the escaped snakes at the same time as rescue and recovery work from the flooding. (globaltimes.cn) ### Why were officials focused on dams and reservoirs? Nanning officials said reservoir failures and overtopping were central to the scale of the flooding. AP reporting said most of the deaths were related to the breach of a dam in the Nanning area, and earlier reports this week said the storm had already caused dam breaches and forced tens of thousands of evacuations. The flood emergency widened from a storm response into repair work on roads, power lines and water-control infrastructure. (nbcnews.com) Xinhua, cited by Bernama, said the 39 dead and nine missing were reported at a flood control and disaster relief press conference in Nanning on Thursday. That official accounting tied the regional toll directly to repeated rounds of torrential rain and the severe reservoir breach in the capital area. ### What is happening next on China's coast and in Taiwan? (mynbc5.com) Taiwan and China's east coast were preparing on Thursday for Typhoon Bavi as forecasters warned of another landfall in the coming days. AP and NBC both reported that the new storm threat was developing while Guangxi was still dealing with deaths, missing people and damaged infrastructure from Maysak. (bernama.com) July 9 briefings from Guangxi officials were focused on rescue, road repairs and restoring services, while local authorities in Hengzhou continued warnings about escaped snakes near flooded villages and farmland. The next official updates were expected from regional flood-control authorities and weather agencies tracking Bavi's approach. (mynbc5.com) (northeastnow.com)