The rain that has lashed
Sichuan Province of late caused a spate of
floods and landslides that left 15 dead and two missing, a
spokesman with the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) said on Tuesday.
?The province has activated a state of emergency with 127,000
people relocated and losses estimated at around 326 million yuan
(US$42 million).
The town of Tingzi near Dazhou City was hard hit on Monday
afternoon when a flash flood whipped two villagers away, bringing
the death toll to 10.
In Dazhou, 64 other people were injured and around 2.3 million
people affected. Its infrastructure has been crippled after sixteen
reservoirs were damaged and around 4,000 houses collapsed, bringing
further grief to a city where roads have been cut off, crops
deluged, and without telecommunications, electricity and fresh
water in some parts.
According to the Sichuan Meteorological Bureau, northeastern
areas of the province will endure further downpour from Wednesday
night until Friday.
Torrential rain also affected Chongqing Municipality and central
Hubei Province but no fatalities have been reported there so
far.
The MCA has sent a relief team to the region with deputy
governor Guo Yongxiang in Dazhou to direct operations.
(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2007)