Some 55,700 people living by Hongze Lake in east China's Jiangsu Province are being evacuated in preparation for flood water diversion from the lake that has been hit by the worst flooding since 1991.

This is the second time in the week that Xuyi county evacuated residents in flood diversion areas. On July 9, 68,000 people in Baoji flood diversion area were moved to safe places.

The Hongze flood diversion area covers 185 sq km, with a population of 55,745.

(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2003)