Authorities in southern China said on Thursday that 39 people have died in flooding from Tropical Storm Maysak and led to the escape of at least 100 animals from a zoo.

Most of the deaths were related to the breach of a dam in the city of Nanning in Guangxi, which claimed 26 lives, said Ding Wei, the city's vice mayor. The previously announced death toll was six people.

Heavy rain battered southern Guangxi for days, with cumulative rainfall of 10 to 40 centimetres in some areas and more than 90 centimetres in hard-hit areas, the national meteorological center said.

The reservoir breaches sent torrents of water into towns and cities. More than 8,000 people and about 5,700 boats have been deployed in the rescue operation, with rescuers battling stiff currents and debris to try to reach people.

About 130,000 people have been evacuated.

Ding said the floodwaters are receding but more rain is expected in some areas in the next two days. Crews have been deployed to clear mud and debris and disinfect several towns in hard-hit Hengzhou city, which is part of Nanning.

Road repairs are ongoing and electricity has been restored to more than 60,000 homes, he said.

The escape from Guangxi's Guigang Zoo came after floods damaged animal enclosures, with alpacas, miniature pigs and zebras among the animals that fled.

The zoo asked the public on Wednesday for help in finding its escaped animals, saying some enclosures had been damaged by "continuous heavy rainfall".

It provided a list of missing creatures, including "two North American raccoons, four porcupines and 30 peacocks", according to a statement posted by a local district's culture, sports and tourism bureau.

The zoo said some of the escapees "may be frightened and potentially aggressive".

"If you spot any of the animals, please keep a safe distance," it said.

"Do not attempt to catch, approach or tease them, as this could be dangerous," the zoo warned.

Videos of villagers knee-deep in floodwater and frantically trying to catch snakes swimming in a flooded Guangxi town with their bare hands and nets went viral on social media this week.

Wu Zhi, the head of a local village committee, told state-owned media Red Star News that around 800 to 900 snakes escaped on Monday after a breeding farm was washed away in Hengzhou city.

The city "immediately bolstered its reserves of medical resources and urgently expanded the stock of antivenom" at the local hospital, state broadcaster CCTV reported. (Agencies)




Edited by Azam Khan