China starts emergency flood response in Guangxi

(Photo by CGTN)

China issued a grade-IV emergency response on Monday for rain and floods that have left 16 people dead and 10 missing in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Heavy rain started in parts of Guangxi on Saturday, forcing the relocation of 92,000 residents, according to the regional civil affairs department.

The disaster has caused around 2.9 billion yuan (430 million US dollars) in direct economic losses.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) and the China National Commission for Disaster Reduction have sent teams to assist relief work on the scene.

A grade-IV response, the lowest in China's emergency response system, requires a 24-hour alerts, daily damage reports, and funds and relief delivered within 48 hours.

Guangxi disaster response and civil affairs authorities have delivered relief supplies and fund of 3.6 million yuan to affected areas.

According to the National Meteorological Center (NMC), torrential rain pounding southern China started to weaken Monday. Parts of Guangxi and Guangdong will continue to receive torrential rain, the agency forecast, and heavy rain will also hit southwest China's Sichuan Basin during July 5-8.

NMC warns that the heat wave will spread further south once the rain ends. Parts of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hubei and Sichuan provinces and Chongqing Municipality will see temperatures rise above 37 to 39 degrees centigrade, with some areas surpassing 40.