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Lightning strikes kill 7 in Sichuan 7/7/2004
12/8/2004 16:12

Seven people were killed and 10 more injured by lightning strike last Sunday in Liangshan autonomous prefecture of ethnic Yi group, southwest China's Sichuan province, the provincial disast er relief office and civil affairs department said Wednesday.

Rainstorms and hail pounded local 33 towns and townships on July 4, affecting 38,000 locals and 2,990 hectares of cropland. Asa result, some 820 ha of farmland will have no yield and 40 houses were torn down, leading to a total direct economic loss of 11.38 million yuan (about 1.37 million US dollars).

Yanyuan county was reported to suffer the severest attacks fromsix hours of thunderstorm and hail, leaving 23,000 locals affected and six killed by lightening strikes, including two girls, aged three and seven.

Sichuan provincial authorities have dispatched teams to inspect the affected areas and direct relief work, along with an allocation of relief funds.