China warns of more rain after deadly floods
BEIJING: China's weather authorities warned Monday torrential rain that has triggered deadly floods and landslides would continue, as experts said a recent drought was making the situation worse.
The government said at the weekend that flooding in 13 provinces or regions had already left 94 people dead and 78 others missing, and destroyed 465,000 hectares (1.5 million acres) of cropland, an area almost the size of Brunei.
On Monday, the National Meteorological Centre said heavy downpours along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze river -- China's longest -- were to continue over the next three days, adding to an already serious situation.
"Water levels in rivers and reservoirs in some areas of the Yangtze river are nearing or have already exceeded warning levels," the centre said in a statement.
It added authorities should step up their checks on dams and reservoirs to make sure they were all working well. "At the same time, they must be on their guards for disasters such as floods, land- and mudslides."
Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011
Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011
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