Rainstorms left 26 people dead, 14injured and 4 missing from
Wednesday to Friday in southwest China's Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, according to local
government sources.
Death toll in the torrential rains that hit southern and eastern
Sichuan rose to 12 by 6 PM Friday, and the whereabouts of another
two are still unknown, said an official with the Sichuan Provincial
Disaster Relief Office.
The rainstorm, which incurred floods and landslides, has plagued
at least 360,000 people and toppled down 1,354 houses in three
cities in Sichuan.
In the most seriously-hit Gulin County in south Sichuan's Luzhou
City, rainfall reached 183 mm. A total of 4,533 hectares of
farmland were flooded and electricity and traffic were cut off in
many parts.
About 3,000 villagers have been evacuated. Direct economic
losses were estimated at least 76.23 million yuan (US$9.53
million).
In neighboring Guizhou Province, where rainfall reached 102 mm
to 148 mm in some areas, downpours and ensuing floods have killed
nine people and affected 330,000 others, according to the Guizhou
Provincial Headquarters for Flood Control and Drought Relief.
Local governments have evacuated more than 2,400 people to safe
places, according to the headquarters.
Floods blocked traffic, damaged bridges and flattened
residential houses in the disaster areas. Classes were also
suspended in local schools.
Damages on crops and economic loss caused by the downpours and
floods are being calculated.
The provincial government has sent rescuers to the affected
areas for relief.
In Yunnan Province, five people were confirmed dead, two were
missing and 14 were injured since rainstorms pelted Zhenxiong
County from Wednesday to Thursday, according to local government
sources.
As of Friday morning, floods damaged more than 1,000 houses and
flattened 300 others in the county. The number of people affected
by the flood is yet to be made out.
The county government has allocated over 600,000 yuan
(US$75,000) as emergency aid to the affected areas.
Searching for the missing people is underway.
Continuous heavy rains since late May have also caused serious
floods in Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan
provinces as well as Chongqing Municipality.
China suffers floods every year during the June-to-August rainy
season, during which rivers overflow and water rushes down
mountains, often causing deadly landslides.
(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2006)