Southern China Maysak death toll hits 39 as Hengzhou streets turn to brown rivers

The death toll from floods triggered by Typhoon Maysak has risen to 39 in southern China, as rescue teams push deeper into battered communities in Guangxi after days of torrential rain, reservoir breaches and cuts to power and water supplies.

Footage filmed on Wednesday shows large parts of Yunbiaozhen in the Hengzhou area swallowed by brown floodwater. Cars sit stranded and overturned in the streets, while emergency crews wade through flooded neighborhoods, delivering supplies and helping residents as the water starts to recede in some areas.

Maysak brought heavy rain across Guangxi, triggering severe flooding around Nanning. In Hengzhou, the Liulan and Yunbiao reservoirs overflowed and suffered breaches, while the Liuwang Reservoir in Binyang county also overtopped.

"I was working here when the flood came very quickly. I didn't have time to evacuate. The water rose suddenly. I immediately climbed a tree. I didn't dare to come down. I could only call for help," one local resident, Mr Liang, recalled.

Around 130,000 people have been evacuated or moved to safer areas, with about 375,000 affected across Guangxi.

Authorities have deployed more than 8,000 rescue and relief workers, along with 5,700 boats and drones, as teams try to reach residents cut off by the floodwater, deliver supplies and restore basic services.