Nine dead, 11 missing as heavy rains batter China's Chongqing
Synopsis
A wave of catastrophic rainstorms has swept across southern and central China, killing at least nine in Chongqing's Yongchuan District alone, with 11 still missing. Hunan and Guizhou provinces add to a combined toll of over 20 dead or unaccounted for — and rescue teams are still in the field.
Key Takeaways
Nine people killed and 11 missing in Yongchuan District , Chongqing , after rain from Saturday night .
Shimen County , Hunan Province : death toll rose to seven , with 14 still missing as of Sunday.
Guiding County , Guizhou Province : four confirmed dead, five missing after flooding and landslides last week.
A total of 23 townships and districts in Shimen are affected, per Changde City emergency management bureau.
China activated a Level-IV disaster relief emergency response for Guizhou on 19 May .
Rescue and search operations remain active across all three provinces.
At least nine people were killed and 11 others remained unaccounted for as of Monday afternoon, 26 May 2025, after torrential rain pounded Yongchuan District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, local authorities confirmed. The downpour, which began on Saturday night, triggered flash floods and geological disasters across multiple areas of the district.
What Happened in Chongqing
A sudden and extreme catastrophic rainstorm struck Yongchuan from Saturday night through early Sunday morning, unleashing flash floods and a series of geological disasters. Rescue and response operations remain active, with emergency teams deployed across the affected zones. The scale of destruction has prompted a coordinated relief effort by local authorities.
Hunan Province Death Toll Climbs
Separately, the death toll from heavy rainfall in Shimen County, central China's Hunan Province, rose to seven on Sunday, with 14 others still missing. The severe downpour in Shimen began at 7 am on Sunday and is described as the first round of torrential rain to hit the county this year. According to the municipal emergency management bureau of Changde City, which administers Shimen, a total of 23 townships and districts have been affected, with heavy casualties and significant property losses reported.
Guizhou Province Also Hit
The flooding is not confined to Chongqing and Hunan. Last week, four people were confirmed dead and five others remain missing after sudden, extremely heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding and landslides in Guiding County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Among the missing, five additional persons were added following further investigation, according to the county's emergency management and production safety committee. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.
National Emergency Response Activated
China's national commission for disaster prevention, reduction and relief activated a Level-IV disaster relief emergency response for Guizhou Province on 19 May, following severe flooding and geological disasters, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management. China operates a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe. The activation of Level IV signals a significant but not yet maximum-scale mobilisation of national resources.
Broader Pattern Across Southern China
The back-to-back disasters underscore a pattern of intensifying early-summer rainfall across southern and central China. Meteorologists have flagged elevated flood risk for the region as the pre-monsoon season advances. With search operations still underway across multiple provinces, the combined death toll and missing-persons count is likely to evolve in the coming days.
Point of View
Hunan, and Guizhou is not a coincidence — it reflects a recurring early-summer vulnerability across China's southern belt, where rapid urbanisation has reduced natural drainage capacity and increased exposure to flash floods. The Level-IV activation in Guizhou, while significant, sits two rungs below the maximum response, raising questions about whether national resource mobilisation is keeping pace with the scale of simultaneous multi-province disasters. With climate patterns pushing pre-monsoon rainfall to more extreme intensities, China's four-tier emergency framework may need to be tested at higher levels more frequently than officials have planned for.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have died in the China floods in May 2025?
At least 20 people have been confirmed dead across three provinces — nine in Chongqing's Yongchuan District, seven in Hunan's Shimen County, and four in Guizhou's Guiding County. Search operations are ongoing and the toll may rise.
What triggered the flooding in Chongqing's Yongchuan District?
A sudden and extreme rainstorm struck Yongchuan from Saturday night through early Sunday morning, triggering flash floods and geological disasters across multiple areas of the district, according to local authorities.
What is China's Level-IV disaster relief emergency response?
China operates a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe. A Level-IV activation, as declared for Guizhou Province on 19 May, represents the lowest tier of national emergency mobilisation, signalling a significant but not maximum-scale response.
How many people are still missing across the affected areas?
As of the latest reports, 11 people are missing in Chongqing's Yongchuan District, 14 in Hunan's Shimen County, and five in Guizhou's Guiding County — a combined total of 30 missing persons across the three provinces.
Is this the first major flooding event in these regions this year?
For Shimen County in Hunan, authorities described the current downpour as the first round of torrential rain to hit the county in 2025. The broader pattern of heavy early-summer rainfall across southern and central China is consistent with seasonal trends, though the simultaneous impact across multiple provinces is notable.
