12 killed in heavy rain in China's Zhengzhou

The heavy rain across Henan, one of the most populated provinces with 94 million people, began on Saturday, with Zhengzhou being one of the hardest-hit areas. The severe downpours in the city are expected to last until Wednesday night.

About 20.2 centimeters of rainfall hit Zhengzhou in just one hour since 4 pm on Tuesday, exceeding China's record for hourly rainfall in inland areas. Also, between 6 pm on Saturday and midnight Wednesday, five weather stations in the city logged record rainfall amounts while 61.7 cm of rain had drenched Zhengzhou - almost on par with the annual average of 64.1 cm, the local meteorological bureau reported.

Around 6 pm Tuesday, floodwater plunged into a section of the tunnel of the city's subway line, trapping commuters inside in waist-high water. A total of 500 people had been evacuated, and 12 people died. All subways in the city have been suspended.