Society

Rainstorms to lash flooded China provinces

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-11 19:39

BEIJING - China's Central Meteorological Station warned Sunday that rainstorms would again batter many provinces and regions in the coming days bringing with it bigger risks of new flooding and other geological disasters in central and eastern China.

From Monday until Wednesday, the observatory forecast some regions in provinces including Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, and Anhui will see heavy rain.

Related readings:  South China flood death toll reaches 50  China allocates more relief funds for flood-hit south  Flood in Qinghai fills streets, clogs traffic  Southwestern township isolated by flood

Eastern Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, central Henan, Chongqing and Shanghai will also see rainstorms during the next three days.

A total of 14.92 million people in 10 provinces and regions along China's longest river, the Yangtze, have had their lives disrupted after torrential rains began pounding since July 8, a statement from the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SFDH) said Sunday.

Rain-triggered floods also brought damage to 806,000 hectares of farmland and destroyed 20,000 houses, with direct economic losses standing at 8.6 billion yuan ($1.3 billion), a statement from the flood control authority said.

Official figures showed during the 10 days ended on Saturday, at least 50 people were confirmed dead and 15 others were still missing in 9 provinces after heavy rains.

Floods have left 14 people dead and three others missing since Thursday in Chongqing Municipality, toppling more than 3,000 houses and causing the evacuation of 80,400 people, according to the local government.

So far 620,000 people from five provinces in eastern and central China  have been evacuated from flood-hit areas as soldiers from the People's Liberation Army and armed police forces mobilize to fight the floods.

Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources, also SFDH vice director, said at a work meeting Sunday that local authorities should come up with detailed plans for flood control to minimize losses caused by the disaster.

A total of 8 work teams sent by SFDH are also helping with flood control work in provinces along the Yangtze and in northwest China's Qinghai Province, where thousands of people were evacuated Sunday from Golmud City as a risky reservoir nearby was on the verge of breaching after heavy rain.

But the water level of the reservoir has begun easing, the SFDH said, as temporary channels had been dug to divert water.

Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu urged at a work conference Saturday relevant departments to closely monitor the weather and issue alerts promptly, reinforce dams and dikes as well as resettle people affected by the floods.

Meteorological experts warned cities should be on alert against water logging while mountainous areas should be wary of mud flows and landslides triggered by heavy rains.