New round of heavy rains leaves 7 dead, 7 missing in south China

Rescuers transfer a child of a kindergarten trapped by a flood to a safe place in Xianning City, central China's Hubei Province, June 14, 2011. The 128 children and 30 teachers of the Longtanzhongxin Kindergarten in Xianning were trapped by a flood caused by downpours on Tuesday. Local policemen and firefighters rushed to the site and successfully transfered them to a safe place. (Xinhua/Dai Juan)

A new round of rains and flooding in central and south China has left seven people dead and seven more missing over the past three days, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said in Beijing Wednesday.

The heavy rains, which have battered several southern regions since Monday, forced about 88,000 people in six provinces, including Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Guizhou, to evacuate their homes as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to a statement posted by the ministry on its website.

Torrential rains began to lash Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guizhou and Anhui provinces Monday evening and Zhejiang Province on Tuesday morning. The rain is predicted to last until Friday in some regions, according to local meteorological authorities.

The ministry, along with the National Disaster Reduction Commission, has activated several emergency flood relief plans and sent four work teams to assist with disaster relief operations.

The two authorities have allocated 35 million yuan (5.4 million U.S.dollars) in relief funds for Guizhou Province and sent 5,000 tents and 40,000 quilts to flood victims in Guizhou and Hunan provinces.

In addition, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Civil Affairs jointly allocated 130 million yuan on Wednesday for areas hit by heavy rains and floods in Hubei and Hunan provinces.

The relief funds will be used to resettle disaster-affected residents, provide subsidies for the purchase of daily necessities and pensions for families of the deceased and rebuild damaged houses.


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Source: Xinhua

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