600 people relocated after rain lashes SW China
Updated: 2011-07-14 22:28
(Xinhua)
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CHENGDU - Over 600 people have been relocated and about 70 house leveled as more rain-triggered floods and mudslides have hit Southwest China's Sichuan province, local flood control authorities said Thursday.
Sichuan's Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Garze has been lashed by heavy rains since Tuesday, the Sichuan Flood Control Office said in a statement.
Rainfall in 10 counties has exceeded 25 mm while four other counties have registered a precipitation of over 50 mm, according to the statement.
Rain-triggered floods and mudslides have affected six counties in Garze, forcing 632 people to relocate and destroying 73 houses.
No casualties have been reported.
In Yajiang county, about 1,500 liquefied petroleum gas bottles, 500 of which are filled with gas, were washed into the Nyakchu River Tuesday night.
Rescue workers and villagers living downstream of the river have been mobilized to retrieve the bottles.
Meanwhile, State Highway 318 was closed as more than 20 sections of the road were damaged by the flood.
Continuous downpours have wreaked havoc in Sichuan since the end of last month affecting more than 1.5 million people and leaving at least eight dead.
Another highway, State Highway 213, which was referred to as a "lifeline" by rescue workers following the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, was cut off early this month by mudslide at several sections.
At about 5 pm Thursday, the highway was reconnected after a 12-day rush repair, the emergency response office of Wenchuan said in a statement.
However, the newly repaired highway needs further reinforcement and will not open to vehicles till next week, according to the office.