Rainstorms kill at least 57, force relocation of 1.27m in S China

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-6-16  |     ONLINE EDITION

AT least 57 people have been killed and 1.27 million people relocated as rainstorms and floods ravaged nine provinces and region in south China, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and Guangdong Province yesterday.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs said 55 people were killed and another seven people were reported missing as of 9pm on Saturday. A total of 17.87 million people have been affected.

However, Guangdong reported two more deaths yesterday, bringing death toll to 20 in the province and 57 nationwide. Eight others were missing and 5.76 million people in 17 Guangdong cities were affected, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said.

The disaster damaged crops on 860,500 hectares of farms, including total crop failure on 90,200 hectares. It toppled down 45,000 houses and damaged 141,000. The direct economic loss stood at 10.61 billion yuan (US$1.53 billion).

Rainstorms and floods have ravaged the provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Yunnan and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region since June 6, the ministry said.

Guangdong was on full alert as floods in the swollen rivers of Xijiang and Beijiang were expected to converge in Foshan City on Monday.

Fourteen monitoring sites on the two rivers recorded water levels above danger lines, the headquarters said.

The Guangdong maritime bureau closed up the navigation routes in the Zhaoqing section of Xijiang and the Qingyuan section of Beijiang starting from 1:40pm and 1:50pm yesterday respectively.

Heavy rain in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region triggered landslides, mud-rock flows and floods, affecting more than 6.8 million people and forcing the evacuation of 838,800, said the Guangxi civil affairs department.

Crops were destroyed and houses toppled down. Losses so far total 3.7 billion yuan, the department said.