Disaster alert system
Despite the contingency plans in place in the event of natural disasters, the heavy death toll caused by recent flooding across China has exposed the absence of a timely and effective early-warning mechanism.
On Tuesday afternoon, a fierce rainstorm hit Wulan county in northwestern Qinghai province and flood waters swept through a construction site, leaving 24 workers dead.
Heavy flooding and landslides in the country's south and northeast following torrential rains and a typhoon in recent days have already left more than 200 people dead or missing.
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