Downpour following heat wave kills two on Qinghai plateau

Heavy rain ended the rarely scorching heat that had baked Qinghai Province on northwest China's high plateau, but a rain-triggered mudslide left two people dead and one missing.

The disaster occurred at a bridge construction site at around 1 a.m. on Monday in Guinan County, according to a statement issued by the county government.

Rescuers are searching for the missing person despite challenges, as the rain cut telecommunications and disrupted traffic to the site, about 50 kilometers away from the county seat, said the statement.

A silver lining was that the weather since Sunday night has relieved the province, known for its cool climate, from the heat wave that lingered for nearly 10 days in its southeastern regions.

The rain and gales lowered temperatures by more than 10 degrees Celsius, according to the provincial meteorological bureau.

In late July, 11 monitoring stations in Qinghai recorded temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius for three consecutive days, prompting the bureau to issue a heat alert. Bazhou Township in Haidong City saw a record high of 38.5 degrees Celsius on July 26.

The rare heat has affected crops and resulted in a growing population of pests, such as mosquitos and flies, said Dai Sheng with the bureau. Endi