16 Dead, 18 Missing in Flash Flood in Western China

A woman wearing mask walks past construction warning sign during a rainy day in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022. Some were killed with others missing after a flash flood in western China Thursday, as China faces both summer rains and severe heat and drought in different parts of the country. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

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By Associated Press

August 18, 2022 at 5:40 AM UTC

Updated on

August 18, 2022 at 10:24 AM UTC

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Beijing (AP) -- A sudden rainstorm in western China triggered a landslide that diverted a river and caused flash flooding in populated areas, killing at least 16 people and leaving 18 others missing, Chinese state media said Thursday.

Rescuers, who earlier reported 36 people missing, had found 18 of them by early afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV said in an online update. The Wednesday night disaster affected more than 6,000 people in six villages in Qinghai province, CCTV said.