Flood-ravaged southern China braces for more rains
Pastor Dale Morgan
Flood-ravaged southern China braces for more rains*
BEIJING, June 14 (AFP) Jun 14, 2007
Southern China braced on Thursday for a new onslaught of rain following
a week of severe flooding that has devastated much of the region, a
local official and state media said.
Heavy rainfall has caused floods, mudslides and building collapses
across six provinces and regions and left at least 76 people dead.
More than 13.5 million people have been affected by the disaster, which
has caused an estimated 4.73 billion yuan (606 million dollars) in
economic losses, the Ministry of Civil Affairs reported on its website
earlier in the week.
In one of the worst-hit areas, Meizhou city in Guangdong province, an
official told AFP residents had fled the area to stay with relatives
outside the province.
"The situation is quite serious here," the official from the city's
civil affairs department said, declining to give his name.
"According to the weather forecast there will be more strong rainfalls
and storms in the next couple of days.
"People here have nowhere to live but are now heading to relatives and
friends in other regions. They are still waiting for tents, water, food
and medicine to arrive."
State broadcaster CCTV said 87,000 people were still trapped in the
city, and said floods like this only happen twice a century.
Flood waters remain up to shoulder height in some areas, pictures on
state news media websites showed Thursday, and have devastated
businesses and homes from Guizhou to Fujian.
One picture shows a police diver in the city of Shenzhen emerging from
flood waters outside a nightclub that are nearly as high as the ceiling.
The report said more than 20 Shenzhen clubs and restaurants have been
submerged.
The Central Meteorological Station has predicted more heavy rain and
thunderstorms for Thursday in Guangzhou, the bustling capital of
Guangdong, Xinhua news agency reported.
Guangdong authorities have deliberately diverted water to flood six
villages so that more important towns and cities would not be inundated,
earlier Xinhua reports said.
According to the ministry, 788,000 people have been evacuated from the
six regions and provinces affected by the flooding.
More than 479,600 hectares (1.18 million acres) of farmland has been
damaged, with crops completely destroyed in nearly a third of that area,
the ministry said.
The week of devastating rains has loudly announced the start of the
months-long storm season for southern and eastern China.