East China's Jiangxi launches emergency response for rainstorms

NANCHANG - East China's Jiangxi province activated a provincial level IV emergency response, the lowest in the emergency response system, for heavy rains at 8:00 am Saturday, according to local authorities.

Starting Tuesday, downpours have affected more than 440,000 people in the province and caused direct economic losses of 400 million yuan (about $56.49 million).

The province has allocated quilts, blankets and other disaster-relief materials to the disaster-affected areas and prepared to allocate emergency relief funds to support the disaster-relief work.

The provincial meteorological department forecasts that heavy rains will last into Sunday in southern Jiangxi.

The province requires relevant departments to issue early warning information to disaster-affected areas in a timely manner, relocate and resettle people in advance, and ensure the safety of their lives and property.