The death toll from torrential downpours afflicting the southern provinces of Guangxi, Fujian and Sichuan have now claimed 147 lives, South China Morning Post reported. The Ministry of Civil Affairs said floods and landslides triggered by storms have left a further 93 people missing, while more than a million have been forced to flee. The severe situation prompted Premier Wen Jiabao to fly to Wuzhou, Guangxi province, one of the worst-hit areas, and inspect the response effort at the weekend. The National Meteorological Centre warned of more rainstorms two days after it issued an orange storm alert, which is just one grade lower than China’s most serious red alert. The cost of the disaster has so far reached US$2.12 million, while a total of 68,000 houses have collapsed and more than 500,000 hectares of crops have been affected.
Categories