Beijing: Floods and landslides triggered
by torrential rains have left more than 100 people dead or
missing in Jilin Province in northeast China, even as the
death toll from a bridge collapse in Henan Province rose to
49.
With this, the nationwide casualities in floods and
landslides in the past few months have risen to over 1,700.
Chinese officials, in their latest update, said 55
people were killed and 50 others have gone missing in
rainstorm-related natural disasters in Jilin province since
June -- with most casualties recorded after July 24,
official Xinhua newsagency reported.
In addition, about 375,000 people have been evacuated
and 25,800 buildings collapsed due to the floods, with
economic loss on account of flooding reaching nearly four
billion yuan (USD 590 million), it said.
Meanwhile, the death toll from a bridge collapse in
central China`s Henan Province has risen to 49 with 17 people
still missing,Xinhua reported.
The Yihe River bridge collapsed on July 24 in
Luanchuan County, Luoyang City, plunging the people on it into
the gushing waters.
The chances of survival for the missing were slim, but
rescue operations are still under way.
The local ruling Communist Party officials have
published an apology for the incident in the local daily,
saying "we are deeply sorry for the heavy loss of life...and
we take responsibility."
The bridge built in 1987 was crowded with villagers
and tourists from a nearby nursing home who had come to watch
flood torrents when it collapsed, according to survivors.
The bridge was over 200 meters long and more than 10
meters high.
It was the only bridge on a about 4-km section of the
river.
An initial government probe showed it collapsed after
fallen tree trunks stuck under it, blocking the passage of the
raging flood waters.
The floods on July 24 also left 15 dead and 8 missing
in other 13 townships in Luanchuan, it said.
PTI
