Society

Natural disasters leave 34 dead in China in April

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-09 19:14

BEIJING -- Natural disasters in China left 34 people dead and caused 5.11 billion yuan (US$786 million) in direct economic losses in April of this year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said in a Monday report.

Hailstorms proved to be the month's most deadly natural phenomenon, with 18 people killed in south China's Guangdong Province after hailstorms and strong winds rocked the region.

Other areas were damaged by droughts, floods, earthquakes, sleet, landslides, forest fires and pests, according to the report. However, the degree of damage done was not as serious as in past years, the report said.

Natural disasters prompted the evacuation of 27,000 people in regions across China in April. About 1.85 million hectares of crops were affected by the disasters, with 79,000 hectares yielding no crops at all, according to the report.

Roughly 6,000 houses were destroyed and another 77,000 were damaged in April's disasters, the report said.