Protests and arrest in Hunan after flooding hits southern China
Bad weather continues in at least 11 provinces. More than 11 million people are affected. Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed or damaged, crops lost, trains and flights cancelled. At least 3,000 policemen have been deployed in rescue and security operations. Protesters clash with police over the government's slowness.
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Fifty-six people are confirmed dead and 22 are missing as southern China is battered by torrential rain.
Huge swathes of land are now underwater, with crops wiped out and hundreds of thousands of people forced from their homes.
China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs confirmed that 11 provinces have been ravaged by flooding since 29 June.
Landslides and hailstorms have destroyed 27,000 homes and damaged another 33,000 in the provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
More than 11 million people have been affected. Many cities have been flooded with roads made impassable.
More than a hundred trains have been halted, scores of flights cancelled, and power blackouts have been extensive. Farm animals have died, and rice and sugarcane fields have been damaged.
Economic losses now amount to an estimated US$ 3.72 billion. China's central government has allocated over US$ 280 million to the affected provinces.
The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction has also sent teams and materials to the worst-hit areas. About 3,000 armed police have been sent to aid in the rescue work as well as maintain order.
Security is especially critical in Hunan. Amid growing public anger over the government's slow response, hundreds of people have staged a protest in Ningxiang County last weekend, clashing with police.
A number of protesters were arrested, including some who criticised the local government online. Five people were arrested as dozens of residents blocked a state highway in Hunan's Xiangtan city backing up traffic for several kilometres.
They were demanding compensation for flood-related losses, blaming the local government for failing to predict the flooding.
Meanwhile, flood monitoring authorities said that water levels in more than 60 rivers in southern China were above danger levels, and that they expected more rain for the region.
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