Rainstorms Kill 31 in ChongqingHeavy rainstorms that hit Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, in recent days have killed 31 people and another three remain missing, according to reports reaching Chongqing on Thursday.Storms also devastated 13,000 hectares of crops and killed more than 3,000 livestock. A strong storm in the city at 8 am on Thursday killed eight people and injured 22 others, while three are missing. By press time, 16 districts and counties under the administration of Chongqing had experienced torrential rains, causing hundreds of millions of yuan in economic loss, and affecting 4.6 million people. Heavy rains first pounded Chongqing in late June, with one recent storm lasting for 37 hours. Rainfall amounts have ranged from 122 mm to 139 mm in different areas. The storms have caused landslides, mud-and-rock flows, communications blackouts and other hardships in the region. The Chongqing Municipal Government has worked out relief measures to help storm victims. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |