Rainstorms and ensuing floods that hit Guizhou and Yunnan provinces in southwest China, from
Wednesday to Thursday, left 14 people dead, 14 injured and two
missing, according to local government sources on Friday.
According to Guizhou Provincial Headquarters for Flood Control
and Drought Relief, downpours and ensuing floods affected Jiebi
Prefecture and Zunyi City from Wednesday to Thursday, killing nine
people and affecting 330,000 others.
Local governments evacuated more than 2,400 people to safe
places, according to the headquarters. Rainfall reached 102 mm to
148 mm in the affected areas.
Downpours and ensuing floods blocked traffic, damaged bridges
and flattened residential houses in the disaster areas. Classes
were also suspended in local schools.
The provincial government has sent rescuers to the affected
areas to help flood-affected people. Damages on crops and economic
loss caused by the downpours and floods is being calculated,
according to the headquarters.
In neighboring Yunnan Province, five people were confirmed dead,
two missing and 14 injured in floods caused by rainstorms pelting
Zhenxiong County from Wednesday to Thursday, according to local
government sources.
As of Friday morning, floods damaged more than 1,000 houses and
flattened 300 others in the county. The number of people affected
by the flood is being calculated.
The county government has allocated an emergency aid of over
600,000 yuan for disaster relief in the affected areas.
Searching for the missing people is continuing at press
time.
(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2006)