Official: Shouguang families cannot return until homes pass safety checks

Relief workers in flood-hit Shouguang — China's largest producer of vegetables — have been told not to allow evacuated residents to return until their homes are deemed safe, to prevent secondary accidents.

At an early morning news conference on Wednesday, Liu Jiayi, Party secretary of Shandong province, called for all-out efforts to drain the waterlogged areas and check the safety of damaged structures.

He encouraged relief workers and government employees to clearly answer questions from members of the public who are concerned about issues such as resettlement, flood discharge and vegetable prices.

Shouguang, a coastal city in Shandong, was drenched in storms triggered by Typhoon Rumbia on Aug 18 and 19.

Floods affected more than 500,000 villagers by destroying their homes and greenhouses and killing their livestock.