Twelve people were killed and another 18 went missing in a major flooding and landslide caused by powerful rainstorms in central China's Hubei Province.

Sources with the civil affairs bureau of the province said that 17 counties in Shiyan, Xiangfan and Suizhou cities of the province were hit by heavy rainstorms from Sunday to Monday, which led to a serious flooding and landslide.

The flooding and landslide also leveled civilian houses and caused failures in transportation, telecommunications and power supply in some areas, said the sources, adding that Party and government authorities of the province have called for all-out rescue and relief efforts.

In addition to launching a quick response mechanism and introducing a 24-hour on-duty system, the provincial civil affairs bureau dispatched officials to major areas hit by the disaster to give guidance in the relief operation, and also allotted 3.9 million yuan (about US$480,888) to finance the rescue efforts in those afflicted areas.

Governments in the affected counties and cities also earmarked over 5 million yuan (about US$616,523) for the local relief efforts.

Relief operation was carried out in a swift and orderly manner and residents from the areas hit by the disaster have been properly accommodated, according to local sources.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2005)