Floods claim lives in China

Heavy rainfall across China triggered landslides and caused rivers to swell. One driver is in custody for ignoring road warnings that led to a bus falling into a river on Monday in Shijiazhuang province. Authorities rescued 37 passengers, and so far 14 have died. Northern China reported 15 more flood-related fatalities.

How bad is the damage? Roughly 120,000 residents have evacuated from the Shanxi province, where at least 17,000 homes have collapsed. Chinese media reported at least 470,000 acres of crops are underwater, and the region has suffered at least $770 million in damages. Shanxi is a major coal production region, but it has suspended operations at 60 coal mines. The weather has worsened a national coal shortage that contributed to power outages and energy cuts across the country.

Dig deeper: Read John Dawson’s report in Beginnings about modern weather patterns and climate change projections.