Society

Heavy rains wreak havoc across China

By Wang Qian (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-16 08:41

Residents ride through floodwater on Tuesday in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Huang Xiaobang / Xinhua]

BEIJING - Heavy rainstorms will continue to batter China's flood-hit southern provinces over the next three days, meteorological authorities predicted on Tuesday.

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Rain is forecast in Fujian, southeastern parts of Hunan, and central and northern parts of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, according to the National Meteorological Center website.

South China has been suffering flooding and landslides since Monday. The floods have swollen rivers and burst dikes, as well as threatened reservoirs and damaged highways and bridges.

In Fujian province, at least 24 people are missing after flash floods and landslides on Monday swept away a bus and minivan on a mountain road in Nanping.

Only seven of the 31 passengers traveling in both vehicles have so far been rescued, Xinhua News Agency reported. Relief workers are now clearing away debris blocking the roads to continue the search.

The Fujian meteorological bureau issued a red alert on Tuesday afternoon, forecasting that heavy rainstorms will hit most parts of the province.

In Guangxi, torrential rains led to the collapse of many buildings, and rescuers are now searching for 14 people who went missing when floodwaters destroyed 19 homes in Shatou town of Cangwu county.

More than 200 households also had to be evacuated in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Monday after a dam breach due to sudden heavy rain the previous night, said the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

A statement released by the office at the weekend said floods have caused havoc in 21 provinces so far this year, causing direct losses worth 24 billion yuan ($3.5 billion), a year-on-year increase of 370 percent.

As of Friday, floods this year have killed more than 150 people and left 24 others missing, said the statement.

Xinhua contributed to this story.