China intensifies emergency rescue, disaster relief in flood-hit Henan

BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- China has deployed personnel, allocated funds and equipment amid consolidated efforts for emergency rescue and disaster relief after record-heavy downpours in Henan triggered severe floods, an official said Wednesday.

The country has sent about 46,000 personnel from the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force as well as about 61,000 militia members to Henan for flood control and emergency rescue, Zhou Xuewen, vice minister of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) and the Ministry of Water Resources, told a press conference.

The MEM has dispatched about 4,000 fire and rescue personnel from 12 provinces to Henan, carrying a large amount of equipment, including boats, drainage trucks and large and medium mobile drainage pump stations, Zhou said.

China has earmarked 3 billion yuan (about 462 million U.S. dollars) from the central financial reserve to support post-disaster recovery and reconstruction work in Henan and will provide more support according to the flood situation, he said.

From July 17 to 22, Henan was lashed by heavy rain, with daily precipitation at 19 national meteorological stations in cities including Zhengzhou, Hebi, Anyang, Xinxiang and Luoyang reaching historical highs, said Wang Zhihua, spokesperson of the China Meteorological Administration.

Government departments have deployed professional rescuers as well as equipment such as emergency bridges and excavators in Zhengzhou for emergency rescue, drainage and desilting. The country has dispatched professionals and equipment from emergency authorities and enterprises to help with rescue and drainage work in Hebi, Zhou said.

He also noted that central state-owned enterprises have shored up disaster relief in Henan by sending personnel to several cities to support emergency rescue and repair of power facilities.