China's Tianjin relocates 35,000 as rainstorm floods river

TIANJIN -- North China's Tianjin Municipality said Tuesday it had relocated more than 35,000 people from areas prone to flooding by the Yongding River, which has swollen amid intense rainfall.

The city, which neighbors Beijing, on Tuesday upgraded its emergency response for flood from Level III to Level I, the highest level, said Tianjin's flood control and drought relief headquarters.

The headquarters said all the city's flood rescue teams are standing by.

A bulletin released Monday by the Ministry of Water Resources said the Haihe River basin in northern China, where Tianjin is located, has reported "relatively big" flooding amid heavy rains.

Heavy downpours have drenched parts of north China since Saturday, with some regions seeing maximum hourly precipitation reaching 40 to 90 millimeters.

On Monday afternoon, a bridge over the Yongding River in south Beijing's Fengtai District collapsed as water levels surged.