China flood risk worsens as rivers threaten levees

Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:00pm EDT
 
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BEIJING (Reuters) - The risk of flooding in southern China's Guangdong province could worsen as a full moon, more rain and converging rivers threaten levees, the Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday citing local flood control officials.

About a million people have already been displaced by flooding in neighboring Guangxi, and 57 people killed across southern China by torrential rains.

Run-off in the Xijiang and Beijiang rivers was much higher than normal at their junction in Foshan city, Xinhua said, with more rain expected upstream.

Flooding has struck as far north as Longnan, on the southern tip of Gansu province, where 365 died and 1.8 million were left homeless after a devastating earthquake last month.

Gansu is still awaiting 110,000 tents and nearly 100,000 temporary housing units, to shelter the millions still sleeping outdoors five weeks after the earthquake, vice-governor Feng Jianshen told reporters in Beijing on Monday.

(Reporting by Lucy Hornby; Editing by Alex Richardson)

 
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