The death toll, following severe flooding in China's Henan province and its capital Zhengzhou, has risen to at least 33, authorities said Thursday.
An unprecedented downpour dumped year-long rains in just three days over the city of Zhengzhou, meteorological authorities said, instantly overwhelming drains and sending torrents of muddy water through streets, road tunnels and the subway system.
Hundreds of thousands of people in and around the city were also affected by the floods, with farmland flooded and road and rail connections cut off.
In Zhengzhou, the worst-hit country, grim images of horror were broadcast inside the subway system in real time via social media, showing water rising during Tuesday's rush hour from passengers' ankles to their necks.
At least a dozen people died before rescuers could free the survivors from the carriages.
Questions began to emerge on Thursday about how prepared authorities were for the disaster. Angry users flocked to Weibo to wonder why the subway didn't close sooner, with a thread racking up more than 92 million views on Thursday.
"Why were the water levels on the street almost waist high, but the subway still allowed commuters to enter?" asked one.
In a sign of mounting pressure, the Transport Ministry issued a statement ordering rail operators nationwide to "absorb the lessons of recent incidents and ... improve their emergency plans," warning them to close stations quickly. when faced with severe weather.
As the water receded, with piles of cars a monument to its deadly power, residents braced for another day of bad weather Thursday, moving vehicles to higher ground and trying to plan trips from the affected city, where communications and power were still spotty.
Trucks pumped muddy water from underground tunnels while business owners counted the cost of the torrent, and meteorologists issued “red” rain alerts, warning of the threat of new landslides and flooding in surrounding areas.
Mass communications blackouts added to the challenges, with state television reporting that telecommunications equipment and cables were damaged in the floods.
"I am waiting for the power to be restored, but I think it may take several more days," Chen, owner of a local pork sandwich and food restaurant, told AFP.
"My losses? They are fine, compared to what happened in the tunnel there, ”he said, pointing toward the tunnel where flooding trapped many cars on Tuesday, potentially with drivers still inside.
The death toll appeared to be about to rise as rescuers searched the rubble.
The state newspaper Global Times shared a video on its social media of rescuers pulling a three-month-old baby out of a collapsed building in Zhengzhou.
The newspaper said the baby's mother was still missing.
Topography, typhoon, climate
The questions revolved around how China's bulging cities could be better prepared for strange weather events like Tuesday's storm, which experts say is happening with greater frequency and intensity due to climate change.
Anyang City, a short trip north of Zhengzhou, issued a red alert on Thursday for heavy downpours after some areas received more than 100 millimeters of rain, ordering schools to close and most workers staying. at home.
Weather experts analyzed the reasons behind Tuesday's record downpours.
Chen Tao, the chief forecaster for the National Meteorological Center (NMC), said that a combination of Henan's topography and Typhoon In-Fa favored the rains.
Although the typhoon has not landed in China, under the influence of the winds, "a large amount of water vapor from over the sea accumulated towards Henan," providing a source of water for the downpours, Chen said.
Changing weather also makes these types of extreme weather events more common as the world continues to warm, with catastrophes all over the world.
Like much of China, Henan Province is lined with rivers, dams, and reservoirs. Many were built decades ago to manage flood water flow and irrigate the agricultural region.
But the endless sprawl of cities is putting pressure on the drain.
State media rebuked suggestions that the dams may have had a role to play in subverting the normal flow of water, with the Global Times quoting experts as saying the construction "had no direct connection to the flooding."
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