Flooding in Nanning: Snake Farm Destroyed, Fatal Snake Bites Reported
Severe flooding triggered by Typhoon Maysak has devastated parts of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with the death toll rising to at least 39 people and 9 still missing as of July 9. Among the most dramatic secondary impacts of the disaster, a snake farm in Hengzhou was destroyed by floodwaters, releasing hundreds of snakes — including venomous cobras — into flooded villages and resulting in at least one confirmed death from snake bite, according to The Paper.
The Broader Disaster
Typhoon Maysak, the 10th named storm of the 2026 Pacific typhoon season, made landfall in Hainan on July 3 before crossing the Gulf of Tonkin and moving into Guangxi. The slow-moving storm interacted with monsoon moisture to dump extreme rainfall across the region. From July 3 to 5, about two-thirds of Guangxi’s townships recorded heavy rain or worse.
The critical failure occurred on July 6 when the Liulan Reservoir (六蓝水库), a 66-year-old dam built between 1958 and 1960, breached with a gap stabilizing at approximately 110 meters wide. Despite a modernization project in 2024 with a budget of more than 380 million yuan (approximately US$52 million), the dam could not withstand the extreme rainfall pressure. The Yunbiao Reservoir also experienced overtopping and breaching.
As Caixin Global reported, the storm “has exposed the vulnerability of aging water infrastructure in one of China’s flood-prone southern regions, as extreme rain pushed rivers and reservoirs beyond safe levels.”
Across Guangxi, over 375,000 people have been affected, with 130,000 evacuated and 12,900 hectares of crops damaged. In Hengzhou alone, 84,700 people were affected and 53,808 evacuated. Nanning raised its flood emergency response from Level III to Level I on the afternoon of July 6.
The Snake Farm Incident
In Dengwei Village (邓圩村), Yunbiao Township, Hengzhou, a snake farm owned by a farmer surnamed Li was destroyed by floodwaters on the morning of July 6. According to Wu Zhi, the Dengwei Village Committee head, an estimated 800 to 900 snakes escaped from the facility. While most were non-venomous water snakes (水律蛇), the farm also housed venomous cobras (眼镜蛇).
A separate facility — a cobra farm in Luocun (罗村), Xiaoyi Township, with approximately 1,000 cobras — was also flooded, though no bites were reported from that location, according to Dahe News.
Local villager Mr. Cao told The Paper that he transported four snake bite victims to rescue vehicles on July 8. At least one villager has died from a venomous snake bite, and one person remains in critical condition. One victim reportedly cut open his own wound and attempted to suck out the venom with his mouth after being bitten by a cobra — a dangerous method that medical experts strongly advise against.
Community Response
In the aftermath of the incident, more than ten villagers from unaffected nearby areas spontaneously formed a civilian snake-catching team, going into flooded areas and homes to capture snakes and prevent further injuries. Wu Zhi told Red Star News that the team used fishing tools and electrofishing equipment to catch the snakes, noting that most of the snakes they captured were non-venomous water snakes.
“We have issued notices warning villagers without professional snake-catching skills not to catch snakes themselves,” Wu Zhi said. “If snakes are found in homes, villagers must immediately report to the village committee so that experienced personnel can handle the situation and avoid bite risks.”
Government Response
The Chinese government has mobilized extensive resources for rescue and relief operations. The People’s Armed Police deployed over 500 soldiers to reinforce embankments in Guigang. The Southern Power Grid dispatched repair crews to restore electricity, and China Telecom sent teams to repair communications infrastructure. Hengzhou People’s Hospital set up medical stations at evacuation centers, as reported by People Daily.
Analysis and Implications
The Liulan Reservoir breach, despite its recent 380 million yuan modernization, raises serious questions about the resilience of China’s aging water infrastructure in the face of increasingly extreme weather events. Many of China’s reservoirs were built during the 1950s-1970s and face growing stress from climate change.
The snake farm incident highlights how natural disasters can trigger cascading secondary emergencies. As Typhoon Maysak’s remnants later spawned rare tornadoes in Hubei province, killing at least 11 people, the storm system has demonstrated the compounding nature of climate-related disasters.
What to Watch
Authorities continue search and rescue operations for the 9 people still missing across Guangxi. Local health officials are working to secure adequate supplies of antivenom serum as the risk of snake encounters persists, particularly during flood cleanup operations. The incident is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of regulations governing animal farming in flood-prone areas and the adequacy of infrastructure investments in the face of climate change.