Across China: Hubei

127 m yuan crop loss

Heavy rain and hailstorms that hit parts of Jinmen and Tianmen in Hubei province on Monday, caused agricultural losses of about 127 million yuan ($18.4 million).

Preliminary statistics shows that crops covering 5,300 hectares in Jinmen and 10,700 hectares in Tianmen were damaged. In Jinmen, the loss was put at 40 million yuan, and 87 million yuan in Tianmen.

River bureau compensated

A court in Wuhan ruled yesterday that a Chongqing shipping company must pay compensation of 186,000 yuan ($26,600) to the Yangtze River Wuhan fairway management bureau, the first ruling of its kind in the history of the river.

On Nov 21 last year, a 3,400-ton ship owned by the Chongqing company got stranded in the middle of the Yangtze River blocking the passage of more 400 ships for a considerable period of time.

The Wuhan Maritime Court said the management department of the fairway was entitled to compensation for freeing the stranded ship.

(China Daily 05/14/2008 page6)