34,700 saved or evacuated by fire and rescue teams in S China

Fire and rescue teams with the Ministry of Emergency Management have saved or evacuated 34,700 people trapped by floods as downpours continue to lash many areas in southern parts of the country, according to a notice from the ministry. 

Upholding a philosophy that nothing is more precious than people's lives, government bodies involved in ongoing flood control efforts have been asked to ramp up forecasts and monitoring so that people can be warned of risks earlier and rescuers can respond quicker, it said. 

Departments with the China Meteorological Administration, for example, have been asked to ensure that all early warning messages are sent to officials in charge of flood control at different government levels the moment they are issued. 

Based on information from intensified forecasts and monitoring, rescuers across the country are stationed in areas at high risk so that they can reach people who need help in a more timely manner, the ministry noted. 

So far this rainy season, the ministry has dispatched over 28,000 rescuers to 2,609 missions for flood control and emergency rescue, it said.