More than 1,000 die as floods hit China

MORE than 1,000 people have died or disappeared in severe flooding in China so far this year, and the heaviest rains are still to come, a senior official has warned.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Jul 2010, 22:58 BST
Updated 21st Jul 2010, 22:58 BST

This year's floods, which have caused tens of billions of pounds in damage already, have exacted the highest death toll since 1998, which saw the highest water levels in 50 years.

With the typhoon season rolling in, Liu Ning, general secretary of the Chinese government's flood prevention agency, said that authorities must ramp up preparations.

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"Since 60 per cent to 80 per cent of the annual rain level occurs in June, July and August, we should be prepared to prevent and combat potential disasters," Mr Liu said.

Tropical storm Chanthu is expected to hit China's southern island of Hainan and Guangdong province this weekend. Six to eight typhoons are also expected this year.

Already, three-quarters of China's provinces have been hit by flooding and 25 rivers have seen record high water levels, Mr Liu said.

Flooding, particularly along the Yangtze River basin, has overwhelmed reservoirs, swamped towns and cities, and caused landslides that have smothered communities, including toppling 645,000 houses.

Related topics:China