SW China rainstorms leave eight dead, six missing
- 馬玉佳
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Xinhua, July 7, 2011
A new round of heavy downpours in southwest Sichuan Province since Monday evening has left two dead and six missing, bringing the rain-caused death toll to eight since June 30, the provincial flood control office said Thursday.
Continuous downpours have wreaked havoc in Sichuan since last Thursday, affecting more than 1.5 million people in four cities and 21 counties in the province, according to the flood control office.
From 8 p.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Wednesday, 46 monitoring spots from 16 counties have registered over 100 mm of rainfall, while precipitation at two spots exceeded 300 mm.
The downpours and rain-triggered floods have leveled about 10,000 houses and forced nearly 170,000 people to relocate, the office said.
Also, some 50,000 hectares of farmland were submerged in the agricultural province.
Rain-triggered mudslides have also cut off traffic on several highways.
A pivotal highway in the province, State Highway 213, which was referred to as a "lifeline" by rescue workers following the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, was cut off due to mudslides at several sections.
Another highway, State Highway 317, was also blocked by a mudslide at about 6 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the flood control office.
