China launches emergency response to flooding in Beijing, neighboring regions

BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Friday activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Beijing and the neighboring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province.

From Friday to Sunday, torrential rains are expected to lash parts of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, other northeastern regions and the Sichuan Basin.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has urged regions impacted by heavy rainfall to spare no effort in flood control work during this critical period, with efforts to include the evacuation of residents, adequate resource and material provisions, and temporary shutdowns.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has also maintained a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang and Sichuan. The National Disaster Reduction Commission has maintained a Level-II emergency response in flood-hit Hunan Province.

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