Local residents remove the silt with shovels after a massive mountain flood in Datong Hui and Tu autonomous county, Qinghai province, on Aug 18, 2022. (ZHANG HONGXIANG / Xinhua)

XINING - The death toll from a mountain torrent disaster triggered by heavy rain in northwest China's Qinghai province has risen to 16 as of Thursday noon, with another 36 still missing, according to local authorities.

A sudden heavy rainfall, starting 10:25 pm Wednesday, lashed Datong Hui and Tu autonomous county, triggering flash floods and mudslides and causing rivers to change courses, according to the county's publicity department.

A total of 6,245 residents in six villages have been affected by the natural calamity, the publicity department said

A total of 6,245 residents in six villages have been affected by the natural calamity, the publicity department said.

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Local authorities have dispatched more than 2,000 personnel from the armed police, public security, emergency, health and other departments, as well as more than 160 vehicles, for rescue and relief efforts.

Emergency response launched

The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Emergency Management on Thursday jointly activated a Level III emergency response for a mountain flood in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has communicated with its provincial emergency department concerning the disaster situation. It has also sent a work group to Qinghai to provide guidance on disaster relief work.

China has a four-level emergency response system for disaster relief, with Level IV being the lowest and Level I the highest.