Society

Storm pounds SW China tourist city, 130 trapped

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-08 21:34

GUILIN, Guangxi -- Rainstorm pounded southwest China's tourist city of Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Sunday, flooding farmland, cutting off roads and at a point briefly trapping 130 travelers in a countryside resort, local authorities said.

Flooding was reported in two villages and one town but the authorities have not yet received any report of casualties, said Qiu Jianhui, head of Guilin municipal government's flood control and drought prevention office.

Heavy rain started to fall in Guilin and surrounding areas from Saturday night. Rainfall exceeded 100 mm at 25 monitoring stations around the city. Houses were flooded in the worst-hit Zhongfeng village and 70 local residents have been evacuated.

Guilin, with its unique picturesque landscapes, is a prime tourist destination. It holds two sites enlisted to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage.

Guilin's famed tourist attraction Lijiang River almost overflew the bank and the water level surged to 145.1 meters, or only 0.54 meter short of the warning line, by 7 pm Sunday.

Cave-ins were previously reported at a section of a inter-provincial road, forcing authorities to order traffic suspension. Work crews have been sent to prevent cave-ins from occurring along the road.

Local officials have ordered enhanced monitoring over potential reservoir breaches, landslides and mud flows.

Guilin's weather forecast official Zhou Wenzhi said the heavy rain is predicted to last into the night before turning into drizzle on Monday in most parts of the city.