State Councilor Chen Zhili headed a task force to the flood-hit area in northeast China Sunday to direct the relief work and convey the condolence on the death of the 92 people killed in the natural disaster.

A heavy flood and an ensuing mountain torrent hit Ning'an City, northeastern Heilongjiang Province, around 2:00 p.m. Friday, with the highest water level of 2 meters, leaving 92 people, 88 pupils and four villagers, dead and another 17 people missing and 14 others injured, local rescue work headquarters said Sunday afternoon.

Chen, on behalf of President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, expressed sympathy and solicitude for the people of the disaster area while urging the local government to try its best to search for the missing, give the injured the best medical treatment, make well arrangements for the sufferers' livings, maintain the social stability of the disaster area, console the family of the deceased and do rebuilding, resume production and primary school classes as soon as possible.

A primary school in Shalan town, with 351 pupils in class at the very time, was devastated the most seriously by the mountain torrent, the rescue headquarters said.

Seven out of 18 villages in Ning'an City have been damaged by the floods. About 1,333 hectares of farm land were ravaged, 55 houses collapsed and 1,800 villagers' life were affected in the catastrophe.

The Education Ministry has ordered schools across the country to enhance the safety work and prepare to deal with the emergency such as flood and mountain torrent.

Source: Xinhua