The death toll from last month’s devastating floods in central China has risen to 302 with dozens of people still missing, according to officials, tripling the number of fatalities reported last week, Al Jazeera reports.
Zhengzhou, the state capital of Henan province, was hardest hit with 292 people dead and 47 missing, the local government said at a news briefing on Monday. Three people remain missing in other areas of the province.
Zhengzhou, home to 12 million people, saw a year’s worth of rain in just three days and residents found themselves trapped in underground train carriages, car parks and road tunnels by the swiftly rising waters.
Experts say extreme weather events, including severe floods and drought, will become increasingly common as a result of climate change.
