China rescues over 6,000 people in flood season: ministry

BEIJING -- A total of 6,464 people stranded in floods have been rescued since China entered flood season, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management Tuesday.

Over 1.63 million people in seven provincial-level regions in southern China, including Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangxi and Chongqing, have been affected by the heavy rainfall, the ministry said.

A total of 77,000 residents have been relocated, about 1,600 houses collapsed, and some 126,100 hectares of farmland have been hit by the disaster, which caused direct economic losses of 2.69 billion yuan (about $390 million).

The ministry demanded local governments strengthen analysis and study of the rainfall and flood situation, refine the emergency rescue plan and be well-prepared for flood control and disaster relief.

The National Meteorological Center continued to issue an yellow alert for heavy rains in southern China Tuesday. The Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued warnings of geological disasters and mountain torrents in the region.