Three people were killed and five others missing in floods that
have been tormenting parts of Fujian, a province on the east China
coast.
Also affected by the floods and flood-inflicted natural
disasters were 1.6 million residents, including 212,000 people who
were evacuated from their homes, said information provided by
Fujian Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief
Headquarters.
The bad weather prevented 4,565 students in Jian'ou, a city in
central Fujian, from sitting in a national college entrance exam
that started on Wednesday, said Chen Xiong, leader of the
educational bureau of the city.
The entrance exam had to be postponed, said Chen.
The central and northern areas of this east Chinese coastal
province have been washed down by rainstorms since Sunday, and
floods have occurred on many local rivers in the province.
Floods have caused many cases of landslides, mud and stone
flows, destroyed plenty of houses, infrastructure and farmland
crops in 26 counties and cities, where transport was also hard
hit.
The direct economic losses caused by the floods and related
natural disasters were 2.19 billion yuan (about 270 million U.S.
dollars), said sources from the provincial flood control
headquarters.
The detachment of the Armed Police positioned in Fujian have
dispatched 576 officers and soldiers, along with 28 buses and 30
speedboats, to give a helping hand in the rescue efforts.
(Xinhua News Agency June 7, 2006)