Society

Attempt to fix embankment breach fails in NW China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-26 10:24

HUAYIN, Shaanxi - Rescuers failed to close a breach of a flooding river embankment in northwest China's Shaanxi Province Sunday, rescue headquarters said.

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 More than 3,000 soldiers and militiamen have been filling the gap of the embankment of Luofu River with stones and sand bags, and managed to narrow the 80-meter gap into 2 meters, said a spokesman at the headquarters.

But the breach expanded again to eight meters wide as stones and sand bags ran out, he said.

Luofu River, a tributary of Weihe River, breached Saturday morning.

A total of 6,404 people from 1,587 households in Huayin had been evacuated before the flood early Saturday. No casualties have been reported.

Torrential rains pounded Huayin City from 8 am Friday to 6 am Saturday.