Local media reports said more than 1.76 million people in China's northern Shanxi province have been displaced due to severe flooding. Continuous rain throughout last week and over the weekend has triggered landslides and submerged homes in more than 70 districts and cities.

The heavy rainfalls have also caused rivers to overflow in China's central province. It's the worst flooding in the region since almost 300 people died in March following extreme rains in Henan province.

China's Meteorological Administration said the prolonged rains and storms in the region have hampered rescue efforts. The agency said about 7.3 inches of rain fell in Shanxi's provincial capital Taiyuan last week.

State-run media reported on Sunday that at least four police officers had died during a landslide while attempting to rescue residents in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Local authorities have reportedly evacuated more than 120,000 residents and placed them in temporary shelters.

Emergency service workers resorted to using megaphones in Taiyuan to direct people away from the shore and onto the rescue boats. Workers prioritized the elderly and children who were stranded. Xinhua News said at least 17,000 homes were completely destroyed by the floods.

 

Due to the heavy rain in Shanxi, China's mines and chemical factories were forced to shut down. Due to the energy shortages, the government has also suspended the operations of hundreds of factories and mines in China's Inner Mongolia.

The flooding in China's coal-producing region has idled about a dozen mines, raising prices to a record high. China has shut down 60 coal mines in the northern province of Shanxi due to flooding, cutting off a major source of fuel for its economy. Around 14 chemical factories and 372 non-coal mines were also shut down.

The closures are threatening to disrupt China's coal production plans and worsen its power supply shortages during the upcoming winter heating season.

China's State Council announced that it would permit a temporary increase in electricity prices to boost power generation. China's cabinet said that it would allow electricity prices to rise up to 20% against a benchmark, which analysts said would result in a small boost in overall inflation.