Floods affect 23 mln people in China

BEIJING - About 23 million people in 28 provinces had been affected by floods since the start of the flood season this summer, with 86 people dead and 13 missing, China's disaster relief authorities said Friday.

Over 2.18 million hectares of farmland were flooded, and 30,000 houses collapsed, Zhang Jiatuan, spokesperson for the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, said at a press conference.

Since July, rainstorms have hit many regions across the country, triggering landslides and floods.

As part of efforts to prepare for the flood season, the relief headquarters has sent 136 work teams to inspect 1,216 small-scale reservoirs to prevent possible risks, according to Zhang.

Meanwhile, the headquarters, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Finance have decided to earmark relief funds of 1.7 billion yuan ($250 million) to aid disaster-hit areas.