Beijing

A flash flood has tragically swept through a wild camping site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, resulting in nine confirmed deaths and three individuals still reported missing. The devastating incident occurred on Saturday morning in the upstream area of a river in Urad Rear Banner in Bayannur City.

Initially, 13 campers were unaccounted for after the river banks burst around 10 pm on Saturday. As of Sunday evening, one person had been rescued, while nine were confirmed dead, with three campers still missing, according to the city's emergency management bureau and state-run Xinhua news agency. In response, more than 700 rescuers have been urgently dispatched to the site to search for those unaccounted for, with the Ministry of Emergency Management also deploying a work team to guide the extensive operations.

This disaster unfolds as China continues to grapple with weeks of extreme weather since July, characterised by unusually heavy downpours and a stalled monsoon across its northern and southern regions. The Ministry of Emergency Management has consequently issued warnings advising travellers to avoid undeveloped wilderness areas and exercise extreme caution in geologically hazardous zones during the ongoing flood season. This recent tragedy follows a deadly downpour in Beijing late last month, which alone claimed at least 44 lives.