20,000 villagers threatened as levee collapses in S. China
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-07-26 21:24
A 200-meter-long levee in east China's Fujian Province collapsed Wednesday
because of heavy rainstorms brought on by Typhoon Kaemi, threatening more than
20,000 people in six villages.
The levee collapsed Wednesday morning at Zhao'an County, which neighbors
Guangdong Province. The collapse threatened the lives and property of more than
20,000 villagers with flooding.
More than 210 soldiers were immediately called out to make emergency repairs
to the levee, according to Zhao'an government sources.
By 5 p.m. Wednesday, emergency workers had thrown more than 5,000 sandbags
into the breach and piled up 60 tree stumps, the sources said.
Excavators and trucks have now arrived at the site to help with repairs,
according to the sources.
Typhoon Kaemi reached land at 3:50 p.m. Tuesday, which has since weakened and
by Wednesday was a tropical depression in the province's Pinghe County.
Early Wednesday morning, many cities or counties in Fujian were hit by heavy
rainfall ranging from 50 to 300 millimeters, according to provincial flood
control authorities.
Rainfall of 80 to 200 millimeters was forecast to hit many coastal cities
such as Zhangzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou and Fuzhou on Wednesday, said the provincial
meteorological observatory.
In the early hours of Tuesday, a 300-meter-long levee at an industrial park
in Jinjiang City also collapsed due to high waves caused by Typhoon Kaemi.
Local authorities said the breach had been temporarily closed Tuesday evening
after 1,000 people were organized to repair it.
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