China floods kill 14, displaces 45,000 people

Beijing: The heavy rainfall in China has eased the drought which had gripped parts of central and southern China, but has killed at least 21 people and displaced several thousands in southwest China.Chinese state media said that twenty one people were killed in the worst-affected Wangmo county and 37 others reported missing in floods triggered by heavy rains in southwest China's Guizhou Province and in eastern Jiangxi Province. 3,000 are stranded in a single county in Guizhou province. 45,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes in Wangmo county, causing an economic loss of caused a direct economic loss of 1.34 billion yuan ($207 million), state-run Xinhua quoted officials as saying.[caption id="attachment_22148" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="A paramilitary policeman walks on a bridge in the flood-hit Wangmo county, Guizhou province. Reuters"][/caption]The number of missing fell from earlier reported 52 as the death toll rose by seven and 14 were confirmed alive as they either visited relatives or worked in cities as migrants and therefore were not at home at the time of the flooding, an official said.The floods toppled 801 homes, further damaged ,813 homes and affected 13,000 hectares of crops and vegetables in Wangmo, he said.Flood waters inundated the county seat on Monday, disrupting power and water supplies and telecommunication services in several towns. The flooding also damaged roads, bridges, dikes, irrigation facilities and hydropower stations. About 6,000 students from four schools had to stayhome yesterday, as their schools were rendered inaccessible by the flood, said the county's education chief Yuan Tie.The finance ministry announced on Tuesday that it has given more than  $180 million toward the disaster relief for five regions along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.The weather bureau predicts the rainy weather will last until tomorrow.Heavy rain has lashed several other southern provinces during the past few days. The local government has mobilised more than 330 soldiers and policemen to clean up roads.Rain-triggered floods have so far hit 11 cities and counties across Guizhou Province, affecting at least 270,000 people, the provincial civil affairs bureau said.PTI