A mountain torrent on Wednesday morning washed away military
barracks stationed in east China's Jiangxi Province, claiming six lives and
leaving 38 others missing, the military sources said on Thursday
morning.
Upon learning the mishap, the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of China (CPC) and the Central Military Commission (CMC) paid
particular attention to the safety of the servicemen.
Chinese President and Central Military Commission Chairman Hu Jintao ordered "prompt and all-out efforts"
to search for the missing and reduce the casualty to the minimum
extent, military sources said.
The mountain torrent was triggered by Typhoon Kaemi. The 38
missing people included military officers, soldiers and their
families, initial investigation shows.
The headquarters of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the
CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee had dispatched working teams to
organize rescue operation.
Kaemi has lashed central and southern parts of Jiangxi Province
with rainstorms since Tuesday afternoon and triggered flood and
landslides.
Rescuers have evacuated 10,845 civilians in the worst-hit areas,
where maximum rainfall within six hours exceeded 280
millimeters.
At least 329,000 people in Jiangxi have been affected by
rainstorms and ensuing disasters, 9,210 houses were toppled down
and 6,400 hectares of farmland were spoiled. Direct economic losses
were estimated at 150 million yuan (US$18.75 million).
(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2006)