(Clearwisdom.net)

The Huai River Valley in China has experienced the biggest flood disaster in 12 years. The flood situation in Anhui Province in eastern China became critical when the 7^th big dyke was blasted on July 7, in an attempt to reduce the amount of water in swelling rivers. According to statistics, the flood disaster has caused direct economic loss of 7.16 billion Yuan in the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu and Henan.

According to Anhui Province Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, on the night of July 6, the Huai River had risen 1.23 meters over the safety water level, and 0.35 meters over the historic record. According to a BBC report, even though the officials in Anhui Province have not confirmed the damage to local residents due to the blasting of the dyke, the current announced figures indicate that more than 220,000 residents along the Huai River Valley in Anhui Province have been evacuated.

Neighboring Jiangsu Province was hit with 195 millimeters of rain, the heaviest it has experienced in 72 years. Lots of streets and lanes became marsh land in the Capital, Nanjing City, surrounding vehicles with water.

The Chinese Youth Paper said the Huai River flood has became more severe than the floods in 1991. The situation with the Huai River will be known in the next few days.

On July 7, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced that the flood caused damage costing 7.16 billion Yuan. It also said more than a week ago that flooding had claimed 148 lives by the end of June. In comparison, the flood of last summer caused more than 1500 deaths, and economic losses of 68 billion Yuan (USD $8.2 billion).

The Xinhua News Agency reported that up to July 6, Anhui Province has utilized one specially designed area to store floodwater and six to divert water. In the whole province, 21.32 million people have been affected, 14.16 million people severely affected and 5,371 injured; a total of 5,737 villages and more than 1.15 million people were surrounded by water, 1 county underwater, 378,000 people evacuated, 32,000 houses destroyed and 120,000 houses damaged.

In Jiangsu Province, 13.48 million people have been affected, 8.17 million people severely affected, a total of 94 villages and 82,000 people were surrounded by water, 61,000 people evacuated, 12,000 houses were destroyed and 41,000 houses damaged.

In Henan Province, 358,000 hectares of farmland have been affected, 177,000 hectares severely affected and 30,000 hectares destroyed; a total of 435 villages and 620, 000 people were surrounded by water, 113,000 people evacuated; 14,000 houses were destroyed and 19,000 houses damaged.

Moreover, according to the disaster situation announced by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Guangxi on July 7, three floods since May have claimed 43 lives, affected more than 17 million people, and caused direct economic losses of 2.95 billion Yuan.

Posting date: 7/17/2003
Original article date: 7/16/2003
Category: News & Media Reports
Translated on 7/13/2003
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/7/8/53667.html

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