BEIJING : Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao ordered local officials Saturday to step up flood control work in south China after over 150,000 people were forced to evacuate following torrential rains.
Wen issued the orders after watching a video of workers furiously repairing damaged dykes in an effort to prevent a dam burst on the Kama reservoir in south China's Guangxi province, the Guangxi government said on its website.
"You must ensure the safety of the people and do everything to ensure the safety of the dam," the report cited Wen as saying.
Xinhua news agency reported that 7,500 people have been evacuated from below the reservoir's dam after the heaviest rains in years led to flooding and swollen rivers throughout the nation's south.
Another 47,000 people were evacuated in Guangxi's Rongshui county after the Rong river flooded its banks, inundating farmlands and destroying homes, the report said.
Torrential rains have pummelled south central China over the last week leaving dozens dead or missing and leading to the evacuation of over 100,000 people, media reported Friday.
Xinhua also reported that 13 people were killed and eight missing in flooding Friday in the provinces and regions of Jiangxi, Guizhou, Fujian and Guangxi, while 11 were pronounced dead there on Thursday.
Water levels on some rivers in Guangxi were the highest since 1998 when torrential downpours led to the worst flooding in over 100 years and resulted in over 3,600 fatalities nationwide, China Central Television said.
Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2009
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