Flooded Tuanzhou township sees water levels drop

Local authorities say the water levels of the flooded Tuanzhou township of Hunan province had dropped by more than 1 meter as of 6 am on Tuesday thanks to continuous drainage efforts.

Authorities began pumping out water on July 9 after a dike breach along Dongting Lake, China's second-largest freshwater lake, had been sealed off a day earlier.

More than 90 percent of the township has been flooded, with an average depth of 4.6 meters. No casualties have been reported.

The Dongting Lake's water levels increased due to rising water discharge from the Three Gorges Dam, according to Xinhua News Agency, which cited the Hunan hydrology center.

The report said that water levels at some of the lake's hydrological stations might exceed warning levels again because the flood control situation is still severe.

The water level at Dongting Lake is 0.44 meters higher than that of the inundated Tuanzhou township.

More than 890 people and 442 pieces of equipment are being deployed to drain the flood water at the township, with 371 more pieces of equipment waiting to be used.