China floods death toll rises to 39, state media says

The death toll from floods in southern China's Guangxi region has risen to 39, with nine people still missing, state media reported Thursday, as residents began cleaning mud and debris from damaged homes.

State news agency Xinhua reported that 26 deaths were linked to a dam breach at Liulan Reservoir, where seven people were still missing. Local residents told AFP that another smaller reservoir near Gantang had also collapsed.

AFP reporters saw lorries and rescue vehicles passing through a police checkpoint toward Liulan village. In Gantang, furniture and personal belongings were piled in the streets while residents swept muddy water from their homes.

State broadcaster CCTV said 600 residents from Dutian village, next to the reservoir, were sheltering safely but were cut off from the wider area. It said houses in Dutian were directly hit by the flood surge and some were reduced to their foundations, while many residents had evacuated after an official alert.

China's defence ministry said it had deployed more than 2,400 personnel, supported by more than 5,500 militia members.

More bad weather was expected as Typhoon Bavi moved toward eastern China. State media reported that Bavi, downgraded from a super typhoon, was expected to make landfall or bypass Taiwan on Saturday before reaching the coast of Fujian and Zhejiang provinces that evening.