Typhoon Maysak's China Death Toll Climbs to 159, Weeks After Landfall

More than a month after Typhoon Maysak tore through southern China, authorities have sharply revised the casualty figures. State media reported on Friday that at least 159 people are now confirmed dead, with another 10 still listed as missing. The updated count is a significant jump from the 39 deaths officials had reported in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

The typhoon struck Guangxi province in early July, unleashing historic rainfall and catastrophic flooding. The cities of Nanning and Guigang bore the brunt of the disaster. In Nanning, the collapse of six dams triggered floods that claimed 107 lives, according to state media reports. The full scale of the destruction has only become clear in the weeks since, as rescue teams reached isolated areas and assessments were completed.

Meteorological data from July showed the storm's intensity: cumulative rainfall in parts of Guangxi ranged from 10 to 40 centimeters, while the hardest-hit zones received more than 90 centimeters. The deluge overwhelmed infrastructure and left entire communities submerged.

During the initial emergency phase, the government deployed military rescue units to Guigang, where they worked to evacuate students and teachers trapped by rising waters. The city has estimated its direct economic losses from the storm at 14 billion yuan, roughly $2 billion.

The delayed release of the revised toll highlights the challenges of disaster assessment in the region. The tragedy also underscores a broader regional trend: climate change is intensifying storms across Asia, where temperatures are rising at nearly twice the global average, making extreme weather events more frequent and more destructive.