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Fresh rain threat in flooded regions
Weather forecasters warned on Wednesday of a fresh onslaught of downpours across southern China, which has already been battered by rain-triggered floods and landslides that have killed nearly 200.
Weather forecasters warned on Wednesday of a fresh onslaught of downpours across southern China, which has already been battered by rain-triggered floods and landslides that have killed nearly 200.
"The south will be hit by a new round of heavy rain today," the National Meteorological Centre warned on its website, as state television broadcast images of devastation in some of the worst-affected provinces.
The civil affairs ministry has said that the relentless downpours since June 13 and resulting floods and landslides have left 199 people dead and another 123 missing.
The rain, which has hit 10 provinces or regions, has caused nearly 42 billion yuan (six billion dollars) in estimated economic losses.
Authorities in Jiangxi province have had to evacuate nearly one million people after a dyke breach on the Fuhe river flooded huge swathes of countryside and surrounding towns.
Yu Shenghua, a spokesman for Fuzhou city where the dyke is located, said that 930,000 residents had been evacuated so far. "There are still around 5,000 people we need to move," he added.
In neighbouring Fujian province, state television showed images of rain-drenched workers and diggers piling earth onto riverbanks to try to prevent more flooding.
The central government has allocated 253 million yuan (37.2 million dollars) for rescue and relief efforts, while thousands of soldiers have been dispatched to hard hit areas to help in rescue and evacuation work, Xinhua news agency said.
