190 People in Yunnan Killed in DisastersA total of 190 people in southwest China's Yunnan Province have been killed in natural disasters so far this year, according to the Provincial Civil Affairs Department.The disasters have also caused losses estimated at 5.27 billion yuan (about 6.35 billion US dollars), an official of the department said. Drought has affected 80 cities and counties, made it difficult for 1.57 million residents to get drinking water, and reduced grain crop output by 554,200 tons. The official estimated direct losses at nearly 1.1 billion yuan. Seven Devastating earthquakes measured at five degrees and higher on the Richter scale hit many places in Yunnan during the March-July period, affecting 935,600 people and causing losses worth 640 million yuan. On April 25, a hail storm struck Jinping County, killing 12 people and 950 head of livestock, and destroying 2,858 rooms. The county¡¯s total loss was estimated at 370 million yuan. Floods that occurred after May killed 160 people, destroyed 40,789 rooms and inundated 295,000 hectares of farmland, causing a direct loss valued at 2.93 yuan. To date, the Yunnan Provincial Government has allocated 232 million yuan in relief funds to disaster-affected areas. |
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