The death toll from tropical storm Bilis and the ensuing natural
disasters has risen to 530 across China as seven more fatalities
were confirmed in southern Guangdong Province Saturday evening.
Floods and landslides have claimed 106 lives in the province and
77 others are still missing, according to the provincial flood
control headquarters.
More than 7.41 million residents of 674 townships in 68 counties
have been affected by rainstorms, floods and landslides triggered
by Bilis, with economic losses standing at 13.5 billion yuan
(nearly US$1.7 billion) in the coastal province.
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The Guangdong provincial financial bureau has provided 67
million yuan (nearly US$8.4 million) for disaster relief operation
and the agricultural bureau has distributed 220,000 kilograms of
rice seeds for disaster-ravaged areas.
A series of natural disasters triggered by Bilis has killed 35
people in the neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, leaving four
others missing and forcing the evacuation of 499,000 residents,
said the regional disaster relief office on Saturday.
Local authorities in the central province of Hunan raised the region's death toll from 92
to 346 on Friday, saying 89 others remained missing.
Floods and landslides also killed 43 in
Fujian Province.
Bilis landed on China's southeastern coast on July 14 and then
churned inland, triggering deadly floods and landslides.
The breakdown of communication and traffic systems has made it
very hard for the local civil affairs department to collect
information on the number of deaths and the amount of damage
caused, local officials said.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs issued an announcement on Friday,
warning local officials not to cover up death tolls from the
disaster.
By Friday, 26.45 million people have been affected by the storm
in Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi,
according to the ministry.
The central government has earmarked hundreds of millions of
yuan for rescue and disaster relief in flood-ravaged areas.
(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2006)