As of 9:30 PM yesterday, the search for nine people missing
after heavy rains and flooding in northeast China's Liaoning
Province from Friday night to Saturday was continuing, local
government sources said.
Torrential rains and the ensuing floods affected 116 townships in
the province, destroying more than 2,500 houses and damaging 60,000
hectares of crops, according to the provincial headquarters for
flood control and drought relief.
By 7 PM on Sunday, flooding had cut off traffic on 47
county-level highways, 17 more than Saturday, and damaged 25
bridges and 119 tunnels. The total losses are estimated to be 81.15
million yuan (US$10 million).
Heavy rains also caused landslides and the collapse of roadbeds in
some places, according to the headquarters.
Seven hundred people were rescued from floods yesterday, whilst
two artery highways and four county-level highways reopened to
traffic after rush repairs.
The provincial meteorological station forecast moderate to heavy
rains in some parts of the province in the coming week, and the
flood control and drought relief headquarters is working on
measures to keep losses to a minimum.
(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2005)
