At least 14 killed as winter storms batter Gaza: civil defense

At least 14 people were killed in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours as homes collapsed and tents sheltering displaced families were flooded during a powerful winter storm, Gaza's Civil Defense said on Friday.

The fatalities included three children who died from hypothermia, while others were found under the rubble of homes destroyed by heavy rain and strong winds, particularly in Gaza City and northern areas of the enclave, the Civil Defense said.

From Wednesday evening through Friday, the Gaza Strip has been battered by heavy storms and cold weather, leaving the displaced families facing harsh and unsafe conditions. Fragile tents and makeshift shelters, where at least 1.5 million Palestinians are living, offer no real protection from the storms.

Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman of the Palestinian Civil Defense said on Friday that the severe weather has intensified the humanitarian emergency, with the death toll standing at 13 at the time of his statement.

"The weather system affecting Gaza is extremely severe. We are talking about house collapses and the complete destruction of more than a dozen buildings. Dozens of other buildings have partially collapsed, which is why we are reporting 13 victims. More than 90 percent of citizens' tents in Gaza have been completely flooded. In some areas, water levels have risen to more than one meter," he said.

Hiba Al-Yazji, a displaced Palestinian, recalled how a sudden massive influx of water inundated her tent during the night.

"We were flooded. It was like a massive surge of water. I stood in our tent at night with my daughter, and it felt like a pool, with water flowing in from all sides. Since Wednesday, I haven't slept at all, I swear to that. We spread our mattresses out to dry, and now it's going to rain again. Everything in my kitchen has fallen apart," she said.

Other displaced Palestinians have faced similar hardships amid the winds and downpours.

"We have been suffering since the weather system began. I haven't slept for three days. Whenever the rain intensifies, we keep moving inside the shelter. Last night, the plastic roof collapsed on us because of the heavy rain. We spent the night pushing water out, afraid it would flood our tent. My little daughter couldn't sleep at all last night because of the cold," said Dina Khattab.

At least 14 killed as winter storms batter Gaza: civil defense

At least 14 killed as winter storms batter Gaza: civil defense

At least 14 killed as winter storms batter Gaza: civil defense

At least 14 killed as winter storms batter Gaza: civil defense

The total number of inter-regional passenger trips across China during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, also known as chunyun, reached a record of 9.41 billion, official data showed Saturday.

The figure marked a 4.3 percent increase over the same period in 2025, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Road traffic made up the lion's share of these trips. During the period, about 8.74 billion trips were made by road, increasing by 4.2 percent year on year.

Railway passenger volume reached 540 million, expanding 4.8 percent year on year, according to the ministry.

The country's civil aviation sector recorded 94.39 million passenger trips during the period, up 4.6 percent year on year, while waterway trips surged 15.3 percent from a year ago to 35.97 million.

During the period, China's transportation authorities rolled out various measures to alleviate traffic congestion and enhace the passenger experience.

Instead of simply adding extra trains, many railway stations used ticketing system, big data to dynamically allocate capacity for popular routes. Many railway stations and airports carefully calculated their passenger demands, and then deployed robots to help guide passengers. On expressways, AI-monitoring systems were used to help better manage traffic.

For the first time this year, many train stations rolled out a large luggage delivery service, which means after ordering online, passengers can have their luggages picked up at home and delivered to their departure station or even straight to their destination.

The travel rush, often described as the world's largest annual human migration, highlights China's massive mobility and vibrant economic activity. This year's Spring Festival travel rush started on Feb. 2 and ended on March 13.

China sees record-high inter-regional trips in Spring Festival travel rush