Floods kill 22, four missing in Sichuan
11/7/2005 7:44
Heavy rain and flooding since July 6 have left 22 people dead and four
others missing in Dazhou City, Sichuan Province, the government said
yesterday.
The rainstorm-triggered floods have struck five counties and 66
towns in Dazhou, affecting about 3.75 million people and damaging more than
27,000 houses. The disasters caused an estimated economic loss of more than 2.6
billion yuan (US$314 million), according to the Dazhou city
government.
Dazhou has allocated 20 million yuan in relief funds.
The
civil affairs, water resources and communications ministries as well as the
Sichuan provincial government have sent working teams to direct disaster relief
work.
As rains stopped yesterday morning, flood water began receding in
downtown Dazhou. Power and water supplies have resumed and the life of urban
residents largely returned to normal.
The Dazhou government has also
distributed tents, food and medicines to rural areas worst hit by rain and
flooding. Efforts are also being made to restore power and water supplies in
rural areas, according to the Dazhou city government.
Neighboring Guizhou
Province was also hit with heavy rain yesterday.
According to the provincial
flood control and drought relief headquarters, floods marooned 250 villagers in
Huachu Town of Puding County. By 3pm yesterday, the trapped villagers had been
evacuated to safety.
Floodwaters also toppled 64 houses and damaged 3,000
hectares of crops in five counties in Guiyang, the provincial
capital.
Xinhua news
|
