Society

Floods, landslides leave 19 dead, 20 missing

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-13 13:55

BEIJING - Floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains have left 19 people dead, 20 missing and thousands trapped in parts of west China, apart from the Zhouqu mudslides that killed more than 1,000, local authorities said Friday.

Downpours pounded some areas of Gansu, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces from Wednesday night to Thursday night, destroying homes, inundating croplands, and disrupting traffic and telecommunications.

Related readings:  Fresh downpours, floods kill 9 in Gansu  5 missing, 250,000 face threat of floods in Gansu  Downpour hits Zhouqu, three missing  China speeding up rescue, relief work in Zhouqu

In Longnan, Gansu, 10 people have died, 12 are missing, and 10,000 are trapped by floodwaters, the Longnan municipal government said in a statement.

Local authorities are evacuating residents and have dispatched tents, instant noodles, bottled water, quilts and pans to the disaster-hit areas, the government said.

In Tianshui, Gansu, four people have died and eight are missing, the local government said.

In Mianzhu, Sichuan, mudslides have left five people dead and 500 others trapped in the rural mountainous areas, a spokesman with the municipal government said.

Government staff, troops and factory workers have been mobilized to help evacuate the disaster-stricken residents, the spokesman said.

In Weinan, Shaanxi, floods have affected some 100,000 people and forced an evacuation of 4,600 residents. More than 4,800 homes were destroyed or damaged, a spokesman with the Weinan Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau said.

In another development, meteorological authorities have warned of more heavy rains in the coming days for Gansu's Zhouqu County, where the devastating mudslides have left 1,144 people dead and 600 missing.