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| Friday, 23 July 2004 |
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China natural disasters kill 659,typhoons approach BEIJING, Thursday (Reuters) Three typhoons are bearing down on China with storms that could kill more people in a country where 659 have died so far this year in natural disasters such as floods, drought, wind, hail, earthquakes and mudslides. Premier Wen Jiabao urged local governments to take measures to ensure the fewest possible lives are lost. Natural disasters have killed 659 people so far this year and caused economic losses of 39.26 billion yuan ($4.75 billion), the Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry of Civil Affairs as saying. Floods accounted for more than half the deaths. Three typhoons are forecast to hit China next month, bringing devastating floods, the China Daily said. "More disastrous flooding or waterlogging is likely to occur," the newspaper quoted Zhang Guocai, an official of the China Meteorological Administration, as saying. Floods, drought, wind, hail, earthquakes, heavy snow, freezing, landslides and mud-rock flows have damaged about 17.836 million hectares (44.06 million acres) of crops, the ministry said. About 1.569 million hectares (3.877 million acres) of arable land failed to reap any harvest. An estimated 388,000 houses collapsed and 2.4 million houses were destroyed, forcing the relocation of nearly 1.3 million people. |
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