[ti:At Least 25 Dead as China Sees 'Once in a Thousand Years' Rains] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]At least 25 people have died from heavy rains [00:04.20]in China's central province of Henan. [00:08.32]Twelve of them died in a flooded underground train [00:11.92]in Henan's capital, Zhengzhou. [00:15.56]Officials had to provide shelter for about 100,000 people in Zhengzhou. [00:22.28]The floods stopped the city's rail and road transportation. [00:27.48]Thousands of military troops have started a rescue effort in the area. [00:33.44]City officials said rescuers pulled more than 500 people to safety [00:38.80]from the flooded subway. [00:41.92]Social media images showed people who were riding the subway [00:46.12]walking through deep waters in the dark. [00:50.00]One subway station looked like a brown lake. [00:53.56]"The water reached my chest," one flood survivor wrote on social media. [01:00.56]"I was really scared." [01:03.00]A local person whose family name is Guo [01:06.08]said he had to spend the night at his office. [01:10.24]Guo added that the rain stopped bus services in Zhengzhou. [01:16.04]"That's why many people took the subway, [01:18.56]and the tragedy happened," Guo told Reuters. [01:23.48]At a news conference on Wednesday, [01:26.08]officials said at least 25 people have died [01:30.24]and seven remained missing since last weekend. [01:34.84]More rain is predicted across Henan for the next three days. [01:40.60]From last Saturday to Tuesday, [01:43.20]617.1 millimeters of rain fell in Zhengzhou. [01:49.64]That is close to its yearly average rainfall of 640.8 millimeters. [01:56.84]The three days of rain equaled a level seen [01:59.64]only "once in a thousand years," local weather broadcasters said. [02:05.52]Scientists told the Reuters news agency [02:09.16]that the rainfall in China was likely linked to worldwide climate change, [02:14.56]just like recent heat waves in the United States and Canada [02:19.52]and extreme flooding seen in Western Europe. [02:23.64]Johnny Chan is a professor of atmospheric science [02:27.80]at City University of Hong Kong. [02:31.48]He said, "Such extreme weather events [02:35.08]will likely become more frequent in the future." [02:39.04]He added that local and national governments [02:42.64]must develop ways "to adapt to such changes." [02:47.40]Henan is a major center of transport [02:50.32]with a population of about 100 million. [02:54.48]Many train services in the area have had to stop. [02:57.92]On one train just outside the city limits of Zhengzhou, [03:02.20]hundreds of people have been trapped [03:04.60]for two days with little food or water. [03:08.68]Major roads were severely flooded in many cities of the province. [03:14.04]Flights have been delayed or canceled. [03:17.28]In a statement broadcast by state television, [03:20.32]Chinese President Xi Jinping said, [03:23.20]"Flood prevention efforts have become very difficult." [03:28.00]Some schools and hospitals in Henan were trapped by floodwaters. [03:33.52]People caught in the floods sought shelter in places like libraries, [03:38.20]movie theaters and museums. [03:41.92]"We've up to 200 people of all ages seeking temporary shelter," [03:47.16]a worker at the Zhengzhou Science and Technology Museum said. [03:52.64]"We've provided them with instant noodles and hot water. [03:56.20]They spent the night in a huge meeting room," [03:59.08]added the museum worker, whose family name is Wang. [04:04.20]The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou is the city's largest hospital. [04:10.64]After it lost all power, officials tried to find transport [04:15.08]for about 600 severely ill patients. [04:19.24]I'm Jill Robbins. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM