China sends 13,000 disaster relief items to Chongqing, Sichuan

BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Emergency Management and two other government departments on Friday sent emergency supplies to southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and Sichuan Province in support of local flood control and disaster relief work.

The 13,000 disaster relief items include emergency kits, folding beds and quilts, according to the ministry.

Large swathes of southern China have been battered by heavy rainfall in recent weeks. Ensuring the safety of reservoirs during the flood season is of the utmost importance, the ministry said, while urging local authorities to conduct thorough inspections to eliminate hidden dangers.

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has maintained a Level-III emergency response to flooding in Anhui, Jiangxi, and Hunan, and a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Hubei, Sichuan and Chongqing.

China has a four-tier emergency response system for flood control, with Level I being the most severe response scenario.