1,382 killed in natural disasters in first half (Xinhua) Updated: 2006-07-31 14:18
BEIJING -- At least 1,382 people have been killed amid frequent natural
disasters across China since the beginning of the year, says a leading Chinese
meteorological official.
Qin Dahe, director of China Meteorological Administration, told Xinhua that
under the impact of abnormal climate, China has had a higher incidence of
natural disasters this year compared to that for the same period last year.
The natural disasters which have proved to be more disastrous than those
happening before include drought, torrential rains, typhoons, sand storms,
blizzards, forest fires, rock and mud flows. They have so far caused 100 billion
yuan (about 12.5 billion U.S. dollars) in direct economic losses, says Qin.
The flooding caused by Typhoon Bilis alone left 612 people dead and 208 more missing
in the country, according to Qin, who is also a member of the Chinese Academy
of Social Sciences.
While blaming global warming as the key factor for the higher rate and more
disastrous cases of natural disaster, the official insists greater efforts
should be made to improve the capabilities of preventing and limiting the
damages of natural disasters.
"To this end, while keeping development as the overriding task, it is
necessary to persist in following a sustainable path featuring a harmony between
the mankind and the nature, and to rely on scientific and technological progress
for improving capacity of doing research on, monitoring, forecasting and issuing
alarms against impending natural disasters," says Qin.
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