Raging rivers swollen by torrential rains over the past few days
have wreaked havoc in southern and eastern China, leaving a trail
of death and destruction in their wake.
Guangdong,
Fujian
and Guangxi
are the worst affected with a death toll of at least 80 reported by
last night, with 35 people missing, hundreds of thousands evacuated
and millions affected.
There was also extensive damage to property and crops, the
Ministry of Civil Affairs reported last night.
The "water levels of the Xijiang River in Guangxi and Minjiang
River in Fujian kept rising relentlessly," said a report released
by the State Flood-Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.
By late evening yesterday, "the worst flood on record was seen
on the Mengjiang, a tributary of Xijiang River," a source with
national flood-control authorities said. The Xijiang itself is a
tributary of the Pearl River.
Guangxi
At least 32 people were confirmed dead and 23 missing, according
to local authorities.
Continuous flooding affected 5.72 million people in the
autonomous region and 333,000 people have been moved to safer
places.
More than 20,000 residents were evacuated from low-lying areas
in the eastern parts of Wuzhou, an industrial city along the
Xijiang, before floodwaters burst through the banks.
The water level at Wuzhou reached 26.08 meters by 2:00?PM
yesterday, 8.78 meters higher than the danger level; and was rising
by 10 centimeters per hour, according to local media.
The central and northern parts of Guangxi have been hit by heavy
rains since June 18, with the water level in many local rivers
exceeding the danger mark.
Figures from local authorities show that flooding caused an
economic loss of 1.67 billion yuan (US$201 million), damaged
328,000 hectares of crops and toppled more than 20,000
houses.
Fujian
Floods and landslides have killed 12 and five are missing. In
Shunchang county in northern Fujian, five people were buried alive
and three are missing in dozens of landslides.
About 1.59 million people in 34 counties in five cities --
Nanping, Sanming, Ningde, Fuzhou and Longyan -- were affected; and
317,00 relocated to safety.
By yesterday afternoon, the water level at Zhuqi, a hydrographic
station along downstream Minjiang, reached 11.48 meters, about 1.7
meters higher than the warning level, and was flowing at a record
25,000 cubic meters per second.
However, no further damage was reported from the Minjiang
region.
Guangdong
At least 36 people have been killed and 10 others are missing.
About 25,000 people at risk from flooding waters have been moved to
safety.
More than 540,000 have been affected, according to the Guangdong
Provincial Bureau of Water Conservancy.
The cities of Heyuan, Shaoguan, Huizhou and Zhaoqing were the
hardest hit.
More than 22,000 houses were destroyed or damaged and swathes of
cropland were flooded. Sections of highways, river dykes and
bridges were breached by the flood, one of the worst seen in many
years.
Thousands of passengers were stranded or delayed at Guangzhou
Baiyun International Airport; and more than 20,000 were delayed at
railway stations in four cities after the Guangdong Section of the
Beijing-Kowloon Railway was destroyed by landslides.
Meteorologists warned in Beijing yesterday that "extensive
torrential rains will continue in southeastern parts of South China
and areas south of the Yangtze River until Friday."
Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday urged local officials to fulfill
their duties and make safety a priority of their flood-control and
disaster relief measures as deluges have claimed hundreds of lives
over the past days.
(China Daily June 23, 2005)
