Latest News:  

English>>Foreign Affairs

Lifesaving top priority, premier says

(China Daily)

08:08, July 12, 2013

Rescuers race against time to evacuate people as floods continue to sweep through Guanghan, Southwest China's Sichuan province, on Thursday. (Photo/China Daily)

Major evacuation efforts as rain continues to lash Sichuan

Premier Li Keqiang called on Thursday for rescuers to do their utmost to save lives as rain-triggered natural disasters across the country have killed at least 30 people and left 67 others missing since Sunday.

"Governments in disaster-affected regions must improve monitoring, issue early warnings and watch weather conditions closely," Li said.

Floods and landslides have affected about 3.73 million people in 17 provincial-level regions, forcing the evacuation of 212,000 residents, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said. Rainstorms have destroyed more than 8,400 houses and damaged another 113,000, causing direct economic losses of 8.56 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), according to the ministry.

In Sichuan province, one of the hardest-hit areas, people are struggling with floods but being helped by rescuers.

Hong Chi wept as she saw her 83-year-old father Hong Tongjin and 79-year-old mother Xiao Kaiqiong after getting off a bus in Zhongxing, a town in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province, at noon on Thursday. The area was hit by a landslide on Wednesday.

【1】 【2】 【3】


We Recommend:

A forward thrust in Sino-US relations

New media tells'Chinese foreign affairs story'

Xi, Obama meet for first summit

No tolerance for rogue behavior on dispute

Poverty elimination remains important task

China is victim of hacking attacks

Email|Print|Comments(Editor:ZhangQian、Yao Chun)

Leave your comment0 comments

  1. Name

  

Selections for you


  1. Chinese, Russian naval forces in drill

  2. "Joint Sea-2013" drill concludes

  3. Muslims buy food to break daytime fast

  4. Working people under the sweltering sun

  5. Lonely summer for migrant kids

  6. Rainstorms flood more than 10,000 cars

  7. Shining WTCC grid girls

  8. Snapshots of Kazan Universiade

  9. China Pan-Asia Stone Expo kicks off

  10. China's 50 best CEOs named

Most Popular

Opinions

  1. Shortage of teachers hurts kindergartens
  2. Building on past successes
  3. Inflow of 'hot money' tackled, expert says
  4. Caution urged in seeking experts from abroad
  5. China didn't cause German solar firms' bankruptcy
  6. China, U.S. discuss cyber security
  7. Why are we obsessed with selfies?
  8. Israel keen on luring Chinese tourists
  9. 'Bernanke shock' necessary
  10. Safety first for baby formula

What’s happening in China

China's Chongqing issues orange-coded alert of heat

  1. Books on dating become a hit 24 years later
  2. Now a smartphone app for free contraceptives
  3. Gang rape suspect gets new lawyers
  4. Life expectancy for Beijing residents increases
  5. Tourists cool off on beach in Shanghai