Dyke breaches force evacuation of 4,200 people in east China

More than 4,200 people have been removed after flood-hit dykes of a river in Anhui Province suffered breaches, the local government said Sunday.

Bainian river that flows across Anqing and Tongcheng cities reported five minor dyke breaches between 10 a.m.to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, forcing the evacuation.

The people have been sent to safe places and no casualties have been reported so far, according to the flood-control and drought-relief headquarters of Anhui.

Water levels in some rivers and lakes have exceeded the warning lines since July 8 when heavy rains began to pound the province.

Rainstorms have disrupted the lives of more than 2 million people in 29 counties across Anhui, forcing more than 8,100 residents to be removed to safe places.

Initial investigations showed more than 1,800 houses collapsed and some 10,000 were damaged by downpours, which incurred 500 million yuan (73.8 million U.S. dollars) in direct economic losses.

A total of 14.92 million people in 10 provinces and regions along China's longest river, the Yangtze, have had their lives disrupted after torrential rains began pounding since July 8, a statement from the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SFDH) said Sunday.

China's Central Meteorological Station warned Sunday that rainstorms would again batter many provinces and regions in the coming days bringing with it bigger risks of new flooding and other geological disasters in central and eastern China.

From Monday until Wednesday, the observatory forecast some regions in provinces including Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, and Anhui will see heavy rain.

Eastern Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, central Henan, Chongqing and Shanghai will also see rainstorms during the next three days.

Source:Xinhua