Beijing: At least 110 people have been
killed in China due to heavy rains since last Sunday which
have triggered landslides and swollen rivers forcing
authorities to evacuate 1.4 million to safety.
The worst affected is eastern province of Fujian where
the death toll mounted to 31 after six more bodies were
recovered in Gaosha Town, Shaxian County.
Twelve of the 19 missing people were found dead and
seven survived, after a landslide struck Gaosha Town
yesterday, a spokesman from the Sanming municipal government
said. Landslides have also left three missing in Fujia, Xinhua
reported.
In neighbouring Zhejiang Province, nine people died
Friday in two landslides.
In southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a farm
worker was killed and six others are missing after a landslide
hit a work shed in a village in Rongshui County early Friday.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs meanwhile said that
the heavy rains that began pounding south China since Sunday
last have left 69 dead, 44 missing and forced the evacuation
of 1.4 million people in Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong,
Sichuan and Guizhou provinces as well as in the Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region.
The rainstorms have caused economic losses of 6.5
billion yuan (USD 952 million), the ministry said.
The torrential downpours have also triggered flash
floods, caused rivers to swell, inundated crops, and disrupted
traffic and telecommunication.
Meanwhile in Guangxi, nine local officials were
punished for dereliction of duty in monitoring the flood.
Among them were Communist Party Secretary Yan Bogui
and Li Tonghua, government head of Cangwu county, where a
reservoir monitor was caught playing poker, China Daily
reported.
PTI
