Floods cause fewer deaths, less damage in China

BEIJING -- A total of 142 people have died or gone missing in floods across 27 provincial regions in China since June 1, down 56.5 percent on the average amount for the same period over the past five years, according to official data released Wednesday.

Floods across China have destroyed 35,000 homes since June 1 this year, down 72.4 percent on the five-year average, data from the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) shows.

Meanwhile, direct economic losses from flooding were 116.05 billion yuan (about $16.65 billion) during the period this year, down 5 percent on the five-year average.

The MEM urged stronger flood response in regions along the Huaihe River from Thursday to Saturday, while massive downpours are expected in parts of northwest, southwest and east China during the three-day period.

Several provinces, including Hubei, Hunan and Anhui, should step up precautions against rainstorms, floods and landslides, as the water levels remain high at the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Dongting Lake, Poyang Lake and Taihu Lake, said the MEM.