Severe storms have hit 30 counties in central China's Hunan
Province over the past six days, killing at least 23 people and
leaving 24 others missing as of 4:00 pm Thursday, according to the
Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The provincial flood control headquarters reports that mountain
torrents and landslides have destroyed homes and flooded farmland.
In some areas, transportation and communication links have been
cut.
The three cities of Huaihua, Yiyang and Xiangxi have suffered
the most serious damage. The Hunan Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau
reports that between 5:00 and 11:00 AM on Wednesday, 260 homes
collapsed in Huaihua alone, resulting in three deaths. Six others
are still missing.
Three main reservoirs in the province have opened their sluice
gates to discharge floodwaters. Governments at various levels have
launched disaster control operations to evacuate the residents from
flood-prone areas and restore damaged transportation and
communication links.
The provincial meteorological station said on Wednesday that
storms were lingering in the province Thursday, mainly in the
central and southern sectors.
Some 4.6 million people have been affected so far by the storms.
Damage to homes and other properties has resulted in an estimated
2.4 billion yuan (US$293 million) in direct economic losses.
Rescue teams and relief materials from local governments have
reached some of the stricken areas and 121,000 people have been
relocated.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs has implemented a level-four
disaster response. A working group made up of personnel from the
Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Construction and the China Meteorological
Administration has been sent to the disaster areas.
(Xinhua News Agency and China Daily June 25, 2004)
