Rainstorms claim 21 lives in Shaanxi ( 2003-08-30 14:43) (Xinhua) Floods following continuous
rainstorms this week have claimed 21 lives and left nine other missing in
Shaanxi Province, northwest China, according to the province's flood control
office.
The office said Saturday that serious floods have hit 32 counties, causing an
economic loss of more than 500 million yuan (60.45 million US dollars).
Luonan County in southern Shaanxi was worst hit by rainstorms between Aug.
28-29, with 280,000 people being victimized. Rainstorms also caused blackout of
program-controlled and mobile phone services in the county.
Guo Juncheng, director of the county public security bureau, and two police
officers were washed away by floodwater while trying to relocate local people to
safe places.
The rainfall in Shanxian County exceeded 300 mm in the last twodays.
Landslides following heavy rains flattened houses with a combined floor space
exceeding 10,000 square meters.
Provincial government officials have urged concerned localitiesto take
emergency measures to guarantee that flood victims live a normal life.
The province has sent three working groups to evaluate losses of floods and
deal with the aftermath of the disaster.
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