China’s major insurers have stepped up claims handling and emergency response efforts after severe flooding in Guangxi and tornadoes in Hubei generated thousands of insurance claims with significant estimated losses.
Ping An Property & Casualty received 10,504 customer reports from 1 July to 7 July, with estimated claims exceeding CNY110m (US$16.17m). Its Guangxi branch accounted for 4,329 reports, with preliminary estimated losses of CNY71.06m.
Major insurers, including Ping An, PICC P&C, China Life, China Pacific Insurance, Taiping P&C and New China Life, have activated emergency claims measures, according to Xinhua News. These include fast-track claims channels, simplified documentation, remote loss assessments and faster payments for affected policyholders.
PICC P&C waived certain documentation requirements and compulsory on-site inspections for weather-related claims, while China Pacific Insurance deployed catastrophe claims specialists to service centres in Nanning, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou and Guigang. Taiping P&C said its Guangxi branch had received more than 500 disaster-related claims by 7 July.
The insurance response follows several days of severe weather across southern and central China.
In Guangxi, torrential rainfall caused widespread flooding, reservoir overtopping and geological disasters. Authorities reported six deaths and 11 people missing as of 8 July, while around 375,000 people across 63 counties and districts were affected and about 130,000 people were relocated.
Hubei windstorm losses
In Hubei, severe convective weather, including localised tornadoes, affected Huangshi, Huanggang, Ezhou and Xianning on 6 July, according to Hubei Daily. The storms had affected 14,600 people by midday on 7 July.
By 9 a.m. local time on 8 July, insurers had received 3,590 claims from the four worst-hit cities in the province. Huanggang accounted for the largest share, with 2,279 claims and estimated losses of CNY43.37m, followed by Ezhou, with 849 claims and estimated losses of CNY20.98m.
Motor insurance made up most reported cases, with 3,338 claims, or 93% of the total. Estimated motor losses stood at CNY26.21m, while enterprise property losses reached CNY28.91m and catastrophe insurance losses were estimated at CNY23.97m.
The province’s catastrophe insurance mechanism has also been triggered. The publicly funded scheme covers individuals, residential housing and associated household property across Hubei.
In a separate report, Hubei Daily said the first CNY1m in catastrophe insurance payments was made in Huanggang within 24 hours of the 6 July tornado, with Changjiang Property & Casualty Insurance paying CNY200,000 each to the families of five victims.
The Hubei Financial Regulatory Bureau has directed insurers to pay all eligible claims and accelerate payments where possible.
