Authorities in southern China have raised the death toll from flooding unleashed by Typhoon Maysak in early July to at least 159, with 10 people still missing. The updated toll, reported on Friday through state media and carried by Reuters and the Associated Press, covers the hardest-hit cities of Nanning and Guigang in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
Local authorities disclosed the figures at separate meetings on recovery and reconstruction, more than six weeks after the storm. Earlier official reporting had listed 39 deaths and nine missing, making the new accounting a major increase. Officials did not publicly explain in detail why the full toll took weeks to emerge.
More than 1.65 million people across 16 counties, cities and districts in Nanning and Guigang were affected, according to Xinhua and China Daily. Reuters reported that more than 320,000 people were relocated or evacuated. The two cities have moved fully into post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, with damaged communities facing a long rebuilding effort.
Officials described the rainfall as historically rare, widespread and persistent. The Associated Press, citing the national meteorological center, said July totals ranged from 10 to 40 centimeters in some parts of Guangxi and exceeded 90 centimeters in the worst-hit areas. Floods inundated cities, damaged infrastructure and breached reservoirs after the tropical system moved inland.
State media attributed at least 107 of the deaths to floods caused by six dam breaches in Nanning. Guigang estimated direct economic damage at 14 billion yuan, or about $2 billion, while military and civilian rescue teams were deployed during the emergency, including to reach students and teachers trapped by high water. The figures remain official assessments relayed by state media.
China faced three typhoons in July, Reuters reported, citing Xinhua. National emergency-management data put deaths or missing people from all natural disasters that month at 318 and direct losses at 57.15 billion yuan. In Guangxi, the immediate focus is now restoring infrastructure, supporting survivors and strengthening disaster prevention as searches and the final accounting continue.
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