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Heavy rain, floods across China kill 95

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-07-02 15:38

The heavy rainfall in China has taken 95 lives so far and 21 people are still missing, according to a published report Wednesday.

The Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SFCDRH) said that 22 provinces were affected by floodwater and extreme weather conditions, with a total economic loss of 10.78 billion yuan ($1.58 billion) as of June 30.

Related readings:  Drought plagues China as downpour hits south  Downpour forces evacuation of thousands in SW China  2 killed, 1 missing in south China downpour  Rainfall in Beijing may persist into next week  Rescue work continues as rainfall worsens condition

The floods have also wreaked havoc on 22.8 million mu (1.52 million hectares) of crops, and 57,000 houses, it said.

Zhang Zhitong, deputy director of SFCDRH told Xinhua that they have raised the flood alert to level Ⅳ and will continue to closely monitor the situation.

At the same time, the National Meteorological Center said there remains a strong possibility of heavy rainstorms in Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces.