A team sent by the State Council to direct flood control work Thursday arrived in Yingjiang County,Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of Dehong in southwest China's Yunnan Province, where was recently ravaged by floods, landslides and mudflows.

Led by Jiang Li, vice minister of Civil Affairs, the team comprises officials from the ministries of Land and Resources, Water Resources, and Communications, and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

After its arrival at Yingjiang County at about 3 p.m., the team immediately headed for Zhina township, the most seriously hit areaby the disaster.

This is the second team sent by the State Council to the disaster-stricken area this month. The first one led by Yang Yanyin, vice minister of Civil Affairs, came to the county 10 days ago.

Floods and mud-rock flows struck Yingjiang County twice, respectively on July 5 and July 20. Continuous rainstorms since Saturday caused the Daying River and its tributaries, Zhina and Binlang rivers, to rise.

The July 20 disaster left 12 people dead and 48 missing, affecting 70,000 people in 21 towns, and causing a direct economic loss of 157 million yuan (18.9 million US dollars).

Some 1,000 officers and soldiers of the People's Liberation Army, local armed police and militiamen have been mobilized to combat the flooding.

Source: Xinhua