Death toll from Kaixian County flood increases to 16

The unusual heavy rainstorm, which started on last Thursday, has left 16 dead and 26 missing in Kaixian County of China's southwest Chongqing Municipality.

Zhang Jun, a 19-year-old armed police, drowned when helping several villagers evacuate from their flood-besieged houses.

The rainstorm, confirmed by meteorological authorities to be the strongest to hit the county in recent two centuries, had injured 168 people and caused some 3,500 others homeless by Monday noon, said Wang Hongju, mayor of the municipality.

The municipality has also reported a direct economic loss of 1.3 billion yuan (156.6 million US dollars).

Official statistics indicated that all the county's 55 townships and villages were affected by the rainstorm-incurred flood, where thousands of houses were toppled and more than 800,000 local residents, 53 percent of the county's total population, were affected.

The flood also destroyed road, damaged many water conservancy facilities and cut off power supply and communication in the most areas of Kaixian County.

In addition, over 40,000 students who had to study at home as 84 schools in the county were flooded or damaged to different degree.

The county, however, remained calm in its fight against the catastrophe to minimize the losses.

Chinese central government allocated 40 million yuan (4.82 million US dollars) for emergency funds on Monday to Chongqing and China's southwest Sichuan Province which is also suffering from "the most destructive" rainstorms so far this year.

The provincial and local governments have also been working all out to rescue people, resume water and power supply and restore transportation and telecommunication facilities.

"All the injured have received timely and effective treatment and they were out of danger now," said Shu Ya, director of the county's health department.

In addition, more than 3,000 homeless were arranged to take shelter in the government office buildings and schools. The municipal government has raised 3 million yuan (361,000 US dollars) and relief goods to the flood-hit areas.

Local health department has sent medical teams to the flooded areas to prevent possible outbreak of epidemic diseases.

After whole-day efforts, by Monday night, 80 percent of the flood-stricken areas had resumed electricity supply. The water supply is expected to be resumed on Sept. 7 as the only water works in the county with a population of 100,000 had been totally destroyed.

Local insurance companies are ready to compensate for the losses of the insured and "those private business runners who have not bought property insurance, can enjoy a series of preferential policies, including tax reduction or exemption," said Cheng Yuanhui, the acting chief of Kaixian County.

According to local meteorological administration, moderate rain will continue in most areas of Kaixian County while the temperature will fall dramatically to 21 from 35 degrees Celsius in the daytime of Tuesday.

Source: Xinhua