66,000 Flood-Besieged Tourists Get Released
About 66,000 Chinese and foreign tourists besieged at the Three Gorges Dam area by recent flooding have all been transferred to safe places on July 13.
Temporary locks at the Three Gorges Dam site on the Yangtze River have been shut down twice for seven days since June 30 because of the rising water level caused by heavy rainfalls on the upper reaches of the river.
The Yichang city government has mobilized 1,700 motor vehicles to transfer the 66,000 tourists, including 1,500 foreigners, from 358 ships.
According to Three Gorges Project Development Corporation officials, ships can pass through the locks safely only when the water flow is slower than 45,000 cubic meters per second.
The temporary locks have reportedly been reopened on Saturday as the water level of the river has begun declining. (Xinhua)
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