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China evacuates 3.72m people
17/07/2005 08:15 - (SA)
Beijing - China's summer floods have affected 90 million people so far, the official Xinhua news agency said on Sunday, while confirming an earlier report that 764 people have been killed with another 191 missing.
The China Youth Daily had reported the casualty figures on Friday from this year's floods. Xinhua, the government's mouthpiece, confirmed them and said 27 provinces, municipalities and regions have been affected.
About seven million hectares of crops were destroyed and 702 100 houses collapsed during the disaster, which has caused $5.79bn in direct economic losses, Xinhua said, citing information from the state flood control and drought relief headquarters.
The worst-hit regions have been in southern and eastern parts of China, including the provinces of Guangxi, Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Anhui and Henan, as well as the municipality of Chongqing, Xinhua said.
Heilongjiang province in the northeast was also affected, it added.
The China Youth Daily said more than 3.72 million people have been evacuated to safer places.
Floods have always been part of life in China but this year they have been more devastating than usual.
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