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16,000 relocated in flood-hit central China province

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-06 15:50

Rainwater soaks into the decrepit river bed of Boyang Lake on June 5 in Jiujiang, East China's Jiangxi province. The river bed has been suffering through a drought since spring. [Photo/Xinhua]

CHANGSHA - About 16,000 people were swiftly relocated during a recent rainstorm in the city of Loudi in central China's Hunan Province, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

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Torrential rainfalls have triggered floods in several of Hunan's towns and cities. Loudi has been particularly hard-hit by the rains, the headquarters said.

Torrential rains have flooded 103 of the province's townships since 8 a.m. Saturday.

The province has been plagued by a lingering drought in recent months. The rainfalls have relieved drought-afflicted areas in Hunan, which is one of the country's primary agricultural production areas.

Continuous rainfalls in June will alleviate the drought in central and southern China, but will also cause flooding in some areas, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) warned on Monday.

Downpours since the beginning of this month have hit several drought-affected provinces. The rainfalls have relieved the affects of the drought in these areas, but have also triggered floods.