Floods Kill 8 in Central ChinaFloods have left eight people dead and two missing in an area in central China's Hubei Province since mid-June, local officials said.Floods have affected more than 500 people, killed 250 domestic animals, destroyed 4,000 house rooms and inundated 60,000 hectares of farmland, officials at the Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said. Economic losses from the floods could be as high as 220 million yuan (about 26.5 million US dollars). Since mid-June, heavy rain has drenched the Shiyan area in the northwestern part of the province. The area also experienced hail, mountain torrents and mud-rock flows. Local governments swiftly motivated forces to fight the floods. Civil affairs departments have allocated one million yuan and set up shelters for 280 households. |
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