Flood deaths continue to mount

More than 150 people died in floods across the country in the last week, making this year's rainy season one of the deadliest in years, AFP reported. Six deaths were reported in Yunnan province in the last two days, caused by mudslides, landslides and flooding. Some 4,000 homes have been destroyed there because of the heavy rains. The Huai river, China's third-longest river, is at "dangerously high" levels, and could remain high for over a week. Officials in Anhui province, which the river runs through, warned river dykes could be breached because more rain is expected. More than a million people living along the river from three provinces have already been evacuated. The natural disaster death toll for the year was more than 700 in mid-July, with half the deaths reported this month. President Hu Jintao visited the flooded southwestern city of Chongqing yesterday to offer help and condolences.