China dispatched 3,000 troops on Wednesday in response to an appeal for assistance in fighting floods from civilian authorities in Anhui Province as rainstorms continue to batter the province.
The soldiers left their barracks on Wednesday evening and are expected to arrive at their designated positions on early Thursday, stationed in the cities of Huainan, Bangui and Chuzhou, all in Anhui Province, which has been hard hit by heavy rain in the past week.
The troops bring the total number of soldiers fighting floods in the Huaihe River Valley, including Anhui, to 8,000, all from the Nanjing Military Command.
With flood-related losses this season estimated at nearly one billion US dollars, Anhui Province has been struggling to control the rising water levels in the Huaihe River Valley during the past week.
The flood situation is showing no signs of abating as weather forecasts warn of more rainstorms in the period leading up to July13.
(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2003)
