The annual flood season, which officially began on July 1, would be affected by global warming and El Nino, they said.President Xi Jinping ordered “all-out” emergency rescue and relief efforts, medical treatment for the injured and resettlement for affected residents, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday.
“All local governments should tighten accountability for disaster prevention and relief, thoroughly check rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other regions prone to geological disasters, strengthen early warning, prevention and relief work and ensure the safety of people’s lives and property,” he said.
In southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the flood alert was upgraded to red, the strongest in a four-tiered system, on Monday midnight. Water levels at 70 monitoring stations on 55 rivers were above the warning level, authorities said.
A resident tries to handle an escaped snake in Guangxi. Photo: The Paper
A central government task force was sent to the scene to monitor the typhoon’s passage and flood prevention efforts. It also called for volunteer teams with inflatable boats and storm boats to aid rescues.