BEIJING - China has initiated a level IV emergency response in its northwestern Xinjiang region following continuous rain and floods there since June 25.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the China National Commission for Disaster Reduction also dispatched relief teams to Xinjiang, the ministry said on Wednesday.

A grade IV response, the lowest in the country's emergency response system, means a 24-hour alert, daily damage reports, and dispatching money and relief materials within 48 hours.

Local authorities issued a level III response.

Floods across the region have destroyed nearly 20,000 houses and affected 263,000 people, according to Xinjiang's local bureau of civil affairs. Some 24,000 people have been relocated as of 1 pm on Wednesday.

Tents, blankets, food and about 17 million yuan ($2.6 mln) in relief funds have been allocated to flood-hit areas.