HONG KONG, Oct 22 — China recorded CN¥199.36 billion (RM121.85 billion) in direct losses from natural disasters in the first nine months of 2026, mainly driven by severe typhoons, flooding and landslides, its Emergency Management Ministry said.
The losses were down eight per cent from CN¥217.65 billion over the same period last year.
It added that 562 people had died or remained missing after the catastrophic flash floods in August along the Nepal-Tibet border, holding the casualty toll unchanged from previous official counts.
Southwestern and southern China accounted for the majority of affected populations and fatalities.
"Several sudden extreme disasters in southern regions led to a significant increase in deaths and missing persons compared to the five-year average," the ministry said today.
Overall, 1,162 people have died or have been classified as missing from China's natural disasters in the first nine months of the year, up from 742 a year earlier.
Eastern coastal provinces suffered the heaviest property damage and economic losses from repeated typhoon landfalls.
It noted that geological hazards, including rain-triggered landslides and mudslides, caused the highest proportion of fatalities and made up 60 per cent of all disaster types, while typhoons caused the most direct financial damage.
Over five million people were forced to relocate or seek emergency shelter across the country during the nine-month period.
A total of 26 typhoons formed in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea through September, with seven making landfall along China's coastline — both figures exceeding the historical averages for the same time frame.
