The government of Kaijiang County in southwest China's Sichuan Province held a special meeting in Chengdu, the provincial capital, on Thursday, calling for donations to help residents in the county to restore their homes following floods.

From September 3 to 5, the county was lashed by continuous, torrential rains, reportedly the worst on record, suffering heavy economic losses.

The rain, with the precipitation averaging more than 300 mm, and the ensuing flood submerged 10 of the county's 20 townships and broke down telecommunications in five of them. A total of 520,000 people were stricken by the disaster, and more than 1,900 households had their homes destroyed. Preliminary statistics show that direct economic loss from the disaster amounted to 630 million yuan (US$75.9 billion). Many people still lack adequate food and clothing.

County government officials said that 25,000 people need food, 6,200-odd houses need to be rebuilt and power supply equipment and schoolhouses need to be restored.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2004)