According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Monday, recent
floods in central China's Hunan Province have left 18 people dead and 18
others missing.
Continuous floods have hit the five cities of Shaoyang,
Huaihua,Loudi, Zhangjiajie and Xiangxi in Hunan Province, affecting
2.375 million people in total, with 123,000 people needing to be
evacuated.
A flash flood, which happened at 2:40 AM Sunday in Longhui
County, was the most serious incident, killing 11 people and
injuring 16.
The ministry began emergency response procedures on Sunday
evening and dispatched a rescue team to the flood-hit areas.
The months of June through August mark the annual rainy season
that sets off floods and landslides in China. Last year, more than
700 people died as a result of floods and landslides, with an
ensuing incurred direct economic loss of 47.65 billion yuan (US$5.9
billion).
Torrential rains around June 15 in Hunan Province have caused
flash floods. Some rivers burst their banks, killing two people,
leaving one missing, and affecting the lives of 1.41 million
people.
China's top legislature on June 24 began its first hearings of
the draft emergency management law, focusing on the prevention of
disasters and accidents.
Four colors of emergency declaration -- blue, yellow, orange and
red -- will be used to indicate escalating hazard levels, with
"red" signaling the most serious situation.
The draft law stipulates penalties, including dismissal, if
local government officials fail to handle emergencies properly,
fail to take precautionary measures, delay emergency declarations,
or try to cover up the severity of the situation.
(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2006)
