Five cities in the central Chinese province of Hubei have declared "red alerts" after torrential rain left 21 people dead and forced the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people, state media reported.

Dozens of people died while trapped in flooded subway carriages, underground car parks, and tunnels.&nbsp;The deaths were recorded in the township of Liulin, part of the city of Suizhou in the north of the province.

According to Chinese state media,&nbsp;over 2,700 houses and shops suffered flood damage and power, transportation and communications were also disrupted.

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Rescue crews have been dispatched to the worst affected areas, including the cities of Suizhou, Xiangyang and Xiaogan, China's Ministry of Emergency Management said. The city of Yicheng also saw a record 400 millimetres of rain on Thursday.

Over&nbsp;774 reservoirs in Hubei have&nbsp;exceeded their flood warning levels,&nbsp;the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The country has been hit&nbsp;the deadliest floods in a decade wreaked havoc, killing over 300 people and damaging thousands of cars and buildings.

The floods also triggered record insurance claims worth $1.7 billion after thousands of cars and buildings were damaged, insurer Goldman Sachs said in a report.

The local government last week said economic losses due to the floods have ballooned to over $20.65 billion and promised swift compensation.&nbsp;

Around 80,000 were evacuated in the southwestern province of Sichuan last weekend and record rainfall in Henan last month caused floods that killed more than 300 people.

The China Meteorological Administration warned that heavy rainstorms were likely to continue until next week, with regions along the Yangtze river vulnerable to flooding.

State weather forecasters also issued a geological disaster warning late on Thursday, saying areas at risk include the central provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Henan and Anhui, Chongqing, Sichuan, and Guizhou in the southwest as well as Zhejiang on the eastern coast.

(With inputs from agencies)

Five cities in the central Chinese province of Hubei have declared "red alerts" after torrential rain left 21 people dead and forced the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people, state media reported.

Five cities in the central Chinese province of Hubei have declared "red alerts" after torrential rain left 21 people dead and forced the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people, state media reported. Dozens of people died while trapped in flooded subway carriages, underground car parks, and tunnels. The deaths were recorded in the township of Liulin, part of the city of Suizhou in the north of the province. According to Chinese state media, over 2,700 houses and shops suffered flood damage and power, transportation and communications were also disrupted. Rescue crews have been dispatched to the worst affected areas, including the cities of Suizhou, Xiangyang and Xiaogan, China's Ministry of Emergency Management said. The city of Yicheng also saw a record 400 millimetres of rain on Thursday. Over 774 reservoirs in Hubei have exceeded their flood warning levels, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The country has been hit the deadliest floods in a decade wreaked havoc, killing over 300 people and damaging thousands of cars and buildings. The floods also triggered record insurance claims worth $1.7 billion after thousands of cars and buildings were damaged, insurer Goldman Sachs said in a report. The local government last week said economic losses due to the floods have ballooned to over $20.65 billion and promised swift compensation. Around 80,000 were evacuated in the southwestern province of Sichuan last weekend and record rainfall in Henan last month caused floods that killed more than 300 people. The China Meteorological Administration warned that heavy rainstorms were likely to continue until next week, with regions along the Yangtze river vulnerable to flooding. State weather forecasters also issued a geological disaster warning late on Thursday, saying areas at risk include the central provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Henan and Anhui, Chongqing, Sichuan, and Guizhou in the southwest as well as Zhejiang on the eastern coast. (With inputs from agencies)

'Red alert' for rain declared in China as flood death toll hits 21

After two months of heavy floods across central and south-west China, officials have promised the dam can withstand the flows.

Concern escalates as China's largest dam hits highest level

Floods on the upper reaches of China's Yangtze river forced authorities to evacuate more than 100,000 people on Tuesday and threatened a 1,200-year-old world heritage site.

Staff, police and volunteers used sandbags to try to protect the 233-foot&nbsp;Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Heritage site in southwestern Sichuan province, as muddy flood water rose over its toes for the first time since 1949, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Sichuan, through which the Yangtze river flows, raised its emergency response to the maximum level on Tuesday to cope with a new round of torrential rainfall.

The Yangtze Water Resources Commission, the government body that oversees the river, declared a red alert late on Tuesday, saying water at some monitoring stations was expected to exceed "guaranteed" flood protection levels by over 5 metres.

The Three Gorges Project, a massive hydroelectric facility designed in part to tame floods on the Yangtze, is expected to see water inflows rise to 74,000 cubic metres per second on Wednesday, the highest since it was built, the Ministry of Water Resources said.

The project restricts the amount of water flowing downstream by storing it in its reservoir, which has been over 10 metres higher than its official warning level for more than a month.

The facility was forced to raise water discharge volumes on Tuesday in order to "reduce flood control pressures", the water ministry said.

Authorities have been at pains to show that the cascade of giant dams and reservoirs built along the Yangtze's upper reaches have shielded the region from the worst of the floods this year, though critics say they might be making things worse.

Floods on the upper reaches of China's Yangtze river forced authorities to evacuate more than 100,000 people on Tuesday and threatened a 1,200-year-old world heritage site.

Floods on the upper reaches of China's Yangtze river forced authorities to evacuate more than 100,000 people on Tuesday and threatened a 1,200-year-old world heritage site. Staff, police and volunteers used sandbags to try to protect the 233-foot Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Heritage site in southwestern Sichuan province, as muddy flood water rose over its toes for the first time since 1949, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Sichuan, through which the Yangtze river flows, raised its emergency response to the maximum level on Tuesday to cope with a new round of torrential rainfall. The Yangtze Water Resources Commission, the government body that oversees the river, declared a red alert late on Tuesday, saying water at some monitoring stations was expected to exceed "guaranteed" flood protection levels by over 5 metres. The Three Gorges Project, a massive hydroelectric facility designed in part to tame floods on the Yangtze, is expected to see water inflows rise to 74,000 cubic metres per second on Wednesday, the highest since it was built, the Ministry of Water Resources said. The project restricts the amount of water flowing downstream by storing it in its reservoir, which has been over 10 metres higher than its official warning level for more than a month. The facility was forced to raise water discharge volumes on Tuesday in order to "reduce flood control pressures", the water ministry said. Authorities have been at pains to show that the cascade of giant dams and reservoirs built along the Yangtze's upper reaches have shielded the region from the worst of the floods this year, though critics say they might be making things worse.

China evacuates 100,000 as floods threaten heritage site

In China, seasonal rains are common, where rivers overflow almost every year, leading to floods.&nbsp;

However, this year's flooding in the country is one of the worst in decades, as per some estimates. Some reports even say, the floods are worst in around 100 years.&nbsp;

But, what are the impact and cost of these floods?

Watch |&nbsp;

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In China, water levels of 433 rivers have risen over the danger mark, and out of these 33 are flowing at historical highs.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/floods-claim-10-lives-in-bihar-nearly-1-million-people-affected-in-10-districts-315905">Floods claim 10 lives in Bihar, nearly 1 million people affected in 10 districts</a>

The rains have not yet stopped and vast stretches of land is underwater.&nbsp;

Yangtze River is one of China's most important waterways. Some 175 major cities are located near its banks. The area they cover forms the Yangtze river basin, a powerhouse of industrial output.&nbsp;

It is home to a number of multinational companies and is said to generate nearly half of China's overall GDP. Currently, a major part of this region is flooded.&nbsp;

In China, at least 24 provinces have been severely affected, impacting 23.8 million citizens. Thousands of people have been evacuated to safer places.&nbsp;

As many as 142 people have either dead or missing and a total of 28,000 houses have collapsed.&nbsp;

Chongqing, Hubei, Anhui. Jiangxi and Guangxi are the worst-hit provinces.&nbsp;

The Poyang Lake region, China's largest freshwater lake, is the worst-hit area. The lake, on July 13, surpassed a 1998-record and saw its water level rising to 22.6 metres.&nbsp;

For weeks, the lake has been shut.&nbsp;

Economic cost&nbsp;

The rains are said to have caused more than 86 billion yuan in direct economic losses to China, which is a loss of nearly 12.3 billion dollars.&nbsp;

Chinese administration is spending 830 million yuan or 119 million dollars to make up for these damages, according to China's ministry of emergency management.&nbsp;

Beijing has channelled this amount from its central budget to flood-hit areas for restoration and recovery purposes. So far, however, only 12 provincial regions have been allocated with the funds.&nbsp;

Reports suggest that all the leaves of the Chinese military have been cancelled and the PLA have stepped in for the flood relief efforts.&nbsp;

The flood situation in China presently is very critical and we will continue to report on it.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

In China, seasonal rains are common, where rivers overflow almost every year, leading to floods. However, this year's flooding in the country is one of the worst in decades, as per some estimates.

In China, seasonal rains are common, where rivers overflow almost every year, leading to floods. However, this year's flooding in the country is one of the worst in decades, as per some estimates. Some reports even say, the floods are worst in around 100 years. But, what are the impact and cost of these floods? Watch | In China, water levels of 433 rivers have risen over the danger mark, and out of these 33 are flowing at historical highs. Also read | Floods claim 10 lives in Bihar, nearly 1 million people affected in 10 districts The rains have not yet stopped and vast stretches of land is underwater. Yangtze River is one of China's most important waterways. Some 175 major cities are located near its banks. The area they cover forms the Yangtze river basin, a powerhouse of industrial output. It is home to a number of multinational companies and is said to generate nearly half of China's overall GDP. Currently, a major part of this region is flooded. In China, at least 24 provinces have been severely affected, impacting 23.8 million citizens. Thousands of people have been evacuated to safer places. As many as 142 people have either dead or missing and a total of 28,000 houses have collapsed. Chongqing, Hubei, Anhui. Jiangxi and Guangxi are the worst-hit provinces. The Poyang Lake region, China's largest freshwater lake, is the worst-hit area. The lake, on July 13, surpassed a 1998-record and saw its water level rising to 22.6 metres. For weeks, the lake has been shut. Economic cost The rains are said to have caused more than 86 billion yuan in direct economic losses to China, which is a loss of nearly 12.3 billion dollars. Chinese administration is spending 830 million yuan or 119 million dollars to make up for these damages, according to China's ministry of emergency management. Beijing has channelled this amount from its central budget to flood-hit areas for restoration and recovery purposes. So far, however, only 12 provincial regions have been allocated with the funds. Reports suggest that all the leaves of the Chinese military have been cancelled and the PLA have stepped in for the flood relief efforts. The flood situation in China presently is very critical and we will continue to report on it.

Understanding the impact and economic cost of floods in China