Wednesday, July 21. At least 25 people are dead in China’s central Henan province after massive floods triggered by several days of heavy rains. Weather forecasters are predicting three more days of rain for the region.

The rains washed out streets throughout the provincial capital, Zhengzhou, forcing stranded motorists to wade through waist-deep waters that submerged cars and sent many floating away.

The floods also washed out the city’s subway system, with riders posting videos on social media awaiting rescue in waist-high muddy waters. A passenger named Xiaopei posted on Weibo that “the water in the carriage has reached (their) chest.”

Twelve people died and more than 500 were rescued after a subway tunnel flooded, state media reported.

Dozens of reservoirs and dams have reached critical levels, with local authorities warning that the Yihetan dam in the nearby city of Luoyang had sustained a 20-meter breach and was on the verge of imminent collapse.

Authorities have evacuated 100,000 residents to safe zones.

Henan province, home to about 94 million people, has experienced severe rains through the past week. Forecasters say Zhengzhou received as much rainfall in three days as it normally gets in a year.

(AFP/AP/Reuters/VOA)