Authorities in China evacuated stranded tourists from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jiuzhaigou on Monday following mudslides caused by heavy rainfall. The events unfolded as the country issued its highest flash-flood alert for several provinces in the wake of Typhoon Noul.
Jiuzhaigou, located in the southwestern Sichuan province, is renowned for its scenic beauty, featuring colorful pools, snow-capped mountains, lakes, and waterfalls. State broadcaster CCTV reported that key tourist areas within the scenic area have been temporarily closed. The closures affect the Rize Valley, specifically the section above Arrow Bamboo Lake, and the entire Zechawa Valley, beginning July 27.
The highest alert for flash floods was jointly issued by China's Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration. This red warning, effective from Sunday night through Monday, highlights high risks in provinces including Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, and southeastern Xinjiang.
Mudslides and soil erosion are recurring issues in China's mountainous regions, especially during the summer rainy season. Recent weeks have seen several deadly landslide incidents across the country. In the southwestern city of Chongqing, a significant landslide following heavy rain resulted in 11 fatalities, with 50 individuals still unaccounted for. Gansu province experienced a landslide in Tanchang county that killed at least 21 people, and flash floods in Weiyuan county claimed the lives of 10 tourists at a camping site, injuring 23 others. Separately, five people died when a loess soil collapse buried a house in Shanxi province.
This period of severe weather coincides with China's critical flood control window, known as Qixia Bashang, which typically runs from mid-July to mid-August. Weather experts have forecast an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events in the coming weeks. Much of northern China is expected to receive 20% to 50% more precipitation than average.