Floods and mud-rock flows have victimized thousands of local people in China's northwestern Shaanxi Province, and worse flooding is on the way.

The worst hit area has been Shaanxi's southern mountainous region where all 14 towns of Ningshan county have been affected.

 

Half of the 12,000 people of Ningshan county town are homeless and have been evacuated to schools and other public buildings. Across the county, an estimated 10,000 homes have been destroyed and another 20,000 seriously endangered.

 

Fixed telephone lines, mobile communications, water and power supplies have been completely cut off across Ningshan, except for part of the county town and four other towns.

 

Six bridges, a tunnel on a state highway and 13 km of roads were destroyed, while TV and radio transmitting facilities were ruined, according to local officials.

 

The county government estimates damage to infrastructure and assets at over one billion yuan (some US$120 million).

 

The first flood peak of the Weihe River, a major tributary to the mighty Yellow River, China's second longest, flooded more than13,300 hectares of croplands in Weinan city, causing economic losses of nearly 100 million yuan (US$12 million), but no casualties were available.

 

Officials with the provincial anti-floods department said that Luonan county, in the southern mountainous region, and cities of Tongchuan and Xianyang also suffered heavily because of torrential rains, and losses were still being calculated.

 

On Sunday, moderate rains continued in Ningshan county causing more damage, officials said.

 

The second flood crest on the Weihe River, much bigger than the previous one and the largest in its middle reaches since 1981, is approaching the region of Weinan, and is expected to inundate more lowland areas. Local people, government officials and armed police officers are closely monitoring the situation.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2003)