BEIJING, October 22. /TASS/. China's direct economic losses from natural disasters between January and September 2026 totaled 199.36 billion yuan ($29.6 bln), with 1,162 people dead or still missing, the China’s Ministry of Emergencies reported.

Geological disasters, typhoons, floods and heavy rains, windstorms and hail caused the most significant damage to China during the reporting period, the ministry said on its official WeChat page. Certain regions of the country also suffered to varying degrees from droughts, earthquakes, snowstorms, biological emergencies, and forest and grassland fires.

During the nine-month period, 56.46 million people were affected in the disaster zones. The calamities damaged around 170,000 buildings and destroyed 13,000 homes during the three quarters of this year. The natural disasters also affected a total of 4.73 million hectares of cropland.