AT LEAST three people have died with 11 still missing after severe floods only seen “once in a century” continue to wreck havoc in China.
Shocking pictures show bridges collapsing and homes left swimming underwater as landslides and torrential rainfall threatens to plague 127million locals all over the Guangdong region.
Dramatic visuals show the streets in the area filled with water as cars and roads are completely submerged.
Footage shows a bridge in the town of Xiaosanjiang, Guangdong battered and collapsing – leaving locals stranded.
The vicious river water can be seen dragging parts of the bridge away as it continues to be destroyed by the torrid weather conditions.
So far, three people have tragically died in Zhaoging City after being left helplessly trapped in their homes after rain battered the city, according to local authorities.
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Others have been forced to wade through the devastation in an attempt to find safety as the weather is expected to worsen across the day.
State news agency Xinhua said: “A total of 11 people are missing after continuous heavy rainfall hit many parts of (Guangdong) in recent days.
They continued, citing the local emergency management department, saying almost 60,000 people have been relocated so far.
More than 45,000 of these residents were from the northern Guangdong city of Qingyuan.
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The city was left in a perilous position after the banks of the neighbouring Bei River started to overflow, state media reported.
The horror weather first came in on Sunday and battered much of the Guangdong region – home to 127 million people – near Hong Kong.
Typically bustling streets were drowned underwater and landslides and heavy winds left trees collapsing and the region at a standstill.
Thirty six houses have reportedly collapsed in Guangdong so far with another 48 being severely damaged.
Xinhua has estimated the current cost of the floods could reach over £47.5million with homes needing to be rebuilt, streets cleared of debris and repaired and extra flood systems put in place.
Heavy rain is believed to continue through till tonight as the National Meteorological Centre have forecasted “thunderstorms and strong winds in Guangdong’s coastal waters”.
Several other areas could be hit hard by the torrid rain including parts of Fujian, Guizhou and Guangxi.
In the town of Jiangwan, six people were left injured.
Many others were trapped in landslides as the rain continued to build up as river waters reached terrifying levels of up to 19ft above the warning limit.
Record levels of rain have already been recorded in many parts of Guangdong.
Leaving the cities of Shaoguan, Qingyuan, Zhaoqing and Jiangmen floating half-underwater.
Over the weekend, domestic flights landing in Guangzhou were cancelled as many international ones were met with severe delays.
This left millions of homes without power and hundreds of schools shut down for the foreseeable future until an expensive clean up operation can go ahead.
Almost a hundred rescuers have been sent out over the last 24-hours to tirelessly work “day and night” to help desperate civilians.
Local weather officials labelled the situation “grim”.
Shocking footage shows the brown, murky, mud-tinged waters piling on to the main roads and carrying cars down rivers at an alarming rate.
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One picture shows a brave cyclist driving past a park that has been transformed into a lake.
As residential streets have also been left brimming with silty water as people shield their heads and try to escape by boat.
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Georgie English
