Thousands relocated after river bank bursts
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More than 1,200 people have been rescued after the Fuhe River burst its bank and flooded parts of Fuzhou City in east China's Jiangxi Province, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said Tuesday.
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Paramilitary policemen help evacuate residents from Wanjia village of Fuzhou City, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 22, 2010. |
About 35,000 people had been relocated to safety, the headquarters said. No casualties had been reported in the city so far.
The dike at the Changkai section of the Fuhe River burst at 18:30 Monday and threatened the safety and property of about 100,000 people living in the area.
The opening in the dike had expanded to 400 meters at around 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, the Jiangxi Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Office said.
Over 2,000 soldiers and another 2,000 civilians had been mobilized by the provincial government for rescue and relief work.
Authorities in Fuzhou City have set up 17 make-shift shelters at stadiums and local schools for flood victims.
Fifty assault boats and 150 life rafts sent by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters had arrived at the scene and more relief materials were on the way, the headquarters said.
The province's civil affairs department said people in the affected areas were desperately in need of tents and food.
As part of the emergency response, the provincial government has sent 800 boxes of disinfectants and eight trucks of mineral water and instant noodles.
Transport of relief materials had been delayed as parts of the road linking Fuzhou with the provincial capital city of Nanchang were badly flooded.
