More rains lash flood-hit south China

Terra Daily via Agence France-Presse: Heavy rains lashed south China Thursday as the government set up emergency response headquarters to combat floods and landslides that have killed over 200 people and forced millions to evacuate. The scale of the disaster prompted Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to fly to hard-hit Jiangxi province to inspect rescue and relief operations -- his second visit to a flood-hit area in one week, state radio reported.

…. The state meteorological bureau warned that more rains were due to hit five provinces and regions in southern China in the coming days, as water levels on many rivers surpassed historic highs. Up to 196 millimetres (eight inches) of rain fell on parts of Jiangxi and neighbouring Fujian province during a 24-hour period starting Tuesday, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said, warning of landslides and mudflows. More than 15,000 soldiers have been dispatched to hard-hit areas to help in rescue operations, while militias aided in the evacuation of over 75,000 people in Jiangxi after a dyke burst on the Fuhe river, the ministry added.

…The disaster, which has hit 10 southern and central Chinese provinces or regions, has caused an estimated 43 billion yuan (six billion dollars) of economic losses and displaced 2.4 million people since June 13....

A man shelters from the the rain under the canopy of his rickshaw, from 2008 in China, shot by Stougard, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license