The severe weather was caused by Typhoon Gaemi, which initially hit the Philippines and Taiwan before making landfall in eastern China last week.

The hardest-hit area is the hilly, landlocked Hunan province. In the city of Zixing, over 11,000 people were evacuated after record rainfall of 645 millimeters (25 inches) fell within 24 hours, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Emergency response teams are actively searching for the missing and providing aid to affected communities as the region grapples with the aftermath of the storm. (ILKHA)