10 killed, 33 missing after flash floods in China, Xi orders all-out rescue ops

Torrential downpours began around 6 p.m. on Thursday and unleashed flash floods in Gansu province's Yuzhong, stranding some 4,000 people, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

In one mountainous area, precipitation had reached up to 195mm (7.7 inches) since early Thursday evening. Yuzhong county normally sees 300-400mm of rainfall for the entire year.

Yuzhong is situated among gullies and hills of wind-blown silt on one of the world's biggest loess plateaus. That makes it vulnerable to flash floods and landslides given the loose structure of the soil, which becomes unstable when saturated with water.