Jiangxi: Fu River breaches force the evacuation of 100,000 people
With more rain expected today, the danger that the structure could collapse is that much greater. If it happens, the area near the city of Fuzhou could be entirely flooded. Thousands of people have not yet been moved.
More than 15,000 people, including troops and police officers, are attempting to staunch the Changkai dyke breach with sandbags and other material. The muddy waters of the Fu River, which is at flood levels, have already covered large tracks of land.
Weather forecasters warned of a fresh onslaught of downpours across the south for today.
The Civil Affairs Ministry said that two days ago 196 millimetres of rain fell on Jiangxi and Fujian provinces in just 24 hours. The downpours and resulting floods and landslides left 211 people dead and another 119 missing. Hope of finding any alive is getting slimmer by the hour.
About 2.4 million people have had to move because of the flooding. Damages are estimated to be around 43 billion yuan. Entire families have to flee their homes with only the clothes they were wearing.
Thousands of soldiers have been dispatched to flood-hit areas to help in rescue and evacuation work, bringing food supplies and other essentials.
In Jiangxi alone, official sources said that 34 rivers have reached flood levels and three have burst their banks, causing the worst flooding in 50 years.
Southern China has been cursed by floods and drought for thousands of years.
The latest flooding is the worse since 1998, when more than 3,600 people died and 20 million were forced from their homes.
Environmentalists blame china’s extreme weather patterns on the country’s high level of pollution caused by rapid industrialisation.
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31/10/2019 13:57
11/07/2005
