IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beijing

Natural disasters kill 87 in first quarter

Natural disasters killed 87 people in China in the first quarter of this year, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Sunday. In the first three months, natural disasters including hailstorms, forest fires, earthquakes and snowstorms affected nearly 1.4 million people and caused 13,000 people to relocate, according to a statement from the ministry. Natural disasters caused direct economic losses of 2.79 billion yuan ($415 million), including destruction of houses and damage to crops.