Eight people have died following a landslide that struck their homes in central Hunan province on Sunday. The disaster occurred amid ongoing extreme rainfall battering southern China and extending into other parts of the country.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that more than 300 rescuers, including local police, emergency services, power authorities, and health officials, worked tirelessly to free the victims. The landslide struck early on Sunday morning, affecting four houses and two families. Despite the rescuers' efforts, the eight missing individuals were found dead on Sunday night.

Aerial drone photos revealed extensive devastation in the area. Multiple cities in Hunan have been affected by the extreme weather, with Taoyuan county recording the heaviest rainfall—39.5 cm (15.6 inches) from Friday to Saturday night.

On Saturday morning, eight people were swept away by floodwaters; seven were later rescued. Additionally, 4,000 residents were evacuated from Taoyuan, where more than 50 km (31 miles) of roads were closed. The Zi River's tributary reached a record high of 95.68 meters (314 feet) on Sunday morning, according to Hunan’s water resources department.

Six flood alerts were issued on Monday morning in Changsha, the provincial capital, and neighboring cities. Local water resources bureaus warned that multiple rivers are still rising, prompting Changsha to raise its emergency response to level 3, restricting traffic and urging necessary evacuations.

More rainstorms are expected across other provinces this week. On Monday morning, the National Meteorological Centre issued its first red rainfall alert of the year for Anhui and Zhejiang in eastern China and Jiangxi in the south. Extreme rainfall is predicted at hourly rates of 2-5 cm, with some areas expecting nearly 7 cm (3 inches).

Local weather departments in Jiangxi and Zhejiang have warned of expected floods in local rivers. Patrols have been stationed along waterways, and residents have been cautioned to stay safe.

The heavy rains have even reached Heilongjiang, China’s northernmost province. The Naoli River, passing through Shuangyashan, surpassed the alert level of 101.2 meters (332 feet) on Saturday night, forming the first flood of the year.

Southern provinces including Guangdong, Fujian, and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region have also experienced severe flooding in recent weeks, resulting in several deaths and many left homeless. In Guilin, Guangxi, villagers faced the worst floods since 1998, trapping many in their homes and closing a railway station.

The National Financial Regulatory Administration reported that insurance institutions in the flood-stricken regions have received 18,400 case reports, amounting to a total loss of 619 million yuan (US$85.24 million). Investigators have been dispatched to over 10,000 damage sites, and 105 million yuan (US$14.5 million) in compensation has been paid out so far. (ILKHA)