Typhoon Maysak death toll reaches 159 in China

• At least 159 people have died and 10 remain missing after Typhoon Maysak triggered severe flooding in China’s Guangxi region in early July.
• More than 1.6 million people were affected in the hardest-hit areas, with over 320,000 relocated or evacuated.

The death toll from Typhoon Maysak and the floods it unleashed in southwestern China’s Guangxi region in early July has risen to at least 159, with 10 people still missing, state-run Xinhua news agency reported Friday.

The region experienced “historically rare, widespread and persistent heavy rainfall” triggered by Maysak, causing severe flooding in cities and breaches at reservoirs.

At least 107 of the 159 deaths were caused by breaches at reservoirs, Xinhua reported, citing local authorities.

More than 1.6 million people were affected by typhoon-related disasters in the region’s two hardest-hit cities in early July. More than 320,000 people were relocated or evacuated as floodwaters spread.

Officials said the region has now entered a post-disaster recovery and reconstruction phase.

China was hit by three typhoons in July: Maysak, Bavi and Noul.

Natural disasters across China in July left 318 people dead or missing nationwide and caused direct economic losses of 57.15 billion yuan ($8.5 billion), according to data released by the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The figures highlight the scale of the damage from extreme weather events across the country during a month marked by heavy rainfall, flooding and multiple typhoons.