CHINA – At least 12 people have died and 31 others are missing after a bridge partially collapsed in China’s northern province of Shanxi, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Authorities said a portion of the bridge in Zhashui County in the city of Shangluo collapsed on Friday evening after recent rains and flash flooding.

As of 12 p.m. local time (12 a.m. ET) Saturday, search and rescue operations were ongoing after 17 cars and 8 trucks fell into the river, state media reported. China’s national fire and rescue authority said Saturday it had dispatched a rescue team made up of nearly 900 people, 90 vehicles, 20 boats and 41 drones, according to Reuters. One person has been rescued, CCTV said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for all-out rescue efforts Saturday and said the country is in a critical period for flood control, urging local government to take action, Reuters reported, citing local media. Parts of China have been grappling with devastating floods, just weeks after scarce rainfall and sweltering temperatures created drought conditions.

In neighboring Henan province, more than 100,000 people across the province have been evacuated from their homes as a result of flooding, according to state media. In the southwestern Sichuan province, more than 30 people are also missing after flash floods hit a village in Hanyuan County early Saturday, CCTV reported citing the local emergency management agency. Authorities said sudden floods struck around 2:30 a.m. local time, while many were sleeping and caused damage to homes, roads and bridges. (Aljazeera)…[+]

GAZA – At least 13 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on homes in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza on Saturday, according to hospital officials and Gaza’s Civil Defense. The toll came from two separate strikes in the camp, the officials said. In response to CNN’s question about about the latest strikes, the Israel Defence Source (IDF) said: “Overnight, the IDF struck terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including terrorists and terrorist infrastructure sites in the area of Nuseirat”.

“The IDF is making significant efforts to mitigate harm to uninvolved civilians and is operating in accordance with international law against the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip that are systematically and cynically operating from within civilian infrastructure.” Gaza’s Civil Defense also said a residential block was hit south of Nuseirat, with hospital officials saying they received three bodies.

“A short while ago, one tower [block] was bombed,” Mahdi Abdullah, a man from northern Gaza displaced in Nuseirat, told CNN. “The situation is difficult here, and I am waiting for things to calm down so that I can return to my place.” The Israeli military has launched numerous deadly strikes on Nuseirat, including the targeting of multiple UN-run schools housing displaced people. The Israeli military has said its targets were Hamas compounds operating inside the schools.

Nuseirat residents described living in constant fear of being bombed and a deteriorating humanitarian situation. “The situation is scary,” said Rahma Abu Hajjaj, a 39-year-old mother of five from Nuserirat. “There are no warnings, there are no alarms when homes are bombed, we are hiding all the time and we do not know why they are targeting these homes.”

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that 37 people have been killed and 54 injured in the past 24 hours due to ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. The ministry said the total number of deaths since October 7 now stands at 38,919 people, with another 89,622 people injured. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants killed. Israel launched its ground campaign in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attacks, which killed around 1,200 people. (CNN)…[+]

PARAMARIBO – The citizens from Burnside which is located in the Coronie District on Thursday morning barricaded the Post-Westverbinding for about two hours. Their barricade caused a traffic jam on both sides of this main road. The residents made it clear that they want the flooding issue to be addressed. Many areas located in Burnside have been flooded for over a month. Many farmers complained that they are suffering huge financial losses. Citizens also complained that the water has caused a lot of damage in their homes and yards. Two hours after the barricade was erected, the protestors were told that officials would try to find a solution. The District Commissioner’s Office assured the protestors that an excavator would be deployed to tackle the issue. Roy Molly, coordinator of the regional office of the Public Works Ministry, acknowledged that there has not been any maintenance for quite some time and that the excavator had been deployed elsewhere namely Welgelegen…[+]

PARAMARIBO – Several schools located in Paramaribo have been closed since Monday as a result of the flooding caused by the heavy rainfall. Many teachers also did not show up at their workstations due to the fact that their homes are flooded.

 A man whose children are enrolled at OS Munder told Times of Suriname that the school has been closed since a Monday and that there is always a problem at his children’s school whenever it rains. Helmina Poese, director at the AVO, told Times of Suriname that she would meet with representatives from the Ministry of Public Works, to find a solution to the flooding issue at OS Munder. The schools that are located along the Wilhelminastraat namely the Richenel Slooteschool and OS Maretraite have been closed since Tuesday because of the same problem. A principal from one of the schools that is currently still closed told Times of Suriname that whenever there has been heavy rainfall, there is a problem at his school. He instructed his teachers to  inform the parents via the WhatsApp group chats that the school would be closed until further notice. The teachers who are stationed at the schools that are closed have postponed the tests. The principals hope that government officials will finally address the flooding issue…[+]