Victims of the tornado and hailstorm in Yancheng of Jiangsu province in June 2016 are expected to move in to new houses before Chinese New Year, according to a briefing on reconstruction progress, which was held in Funing county on Jan 16.

The natural disaster which occurred on June 23 caused great damage to the city, especially Funing and Sheyang counties, with 99 people killed, some 800 injured and about 1,600 locals from the two counties made homeless.

The local traffic police evacuate people to safe places after the tornado and hailstorm in Yancheng on June 23, 2016. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The reconstruction of infrastructure and houses became the top priority for the local government following the disaster. Funing and Sheyang took suggestions from the victims on the design of new housing, and for the mapping out of suitable construction sites to meet the demands of those impacted.

The authorities have been building 20 settlements sites, of which, 19 are almost completed following months of hard work in all weather conditions. Subsidized by the local government, some of the victims, such as residents of Chenliang village, have already moved into their new homes.

Yancheng will accelerate reconstruction work over the coming months to ensure that all victims can have comfortable and secure residences by June 23, 2017. A project for the renovation of dilapidated buildings will also be launched in the city.

A chart displays resettlement sites to be constructed in Funing county, Yancheng, after the tornado and hailstorm in June 2016 [Photo provided to China Daily]