Thousands trapped as rising Fujian floods reach six metres

[South China Morning Post, June 24 1998]

A severe flood is threatening Fujian's provincial capital, Xinhua said yesterday.

Thousands of people were trapped by rising flood waters but rescue workers said there were no reports of casualties.

Xinhua said the capital Fuzhou and the neighbouring counties of Minqing and Minhou were flooded.

Days of rain upstream had caused the Minjiang River to overflow and officials estimated that 40,000 people in Minqing and Minhou had been affected. Water was six metres deep in parts of Minqing, leaving some two-storey homes under water and traffic paralysed.

Officials had closed the Xiamen-Yangtan railway due to landslides caused by rain.

Flooding also caused serious damage in Jiangxi, according to the semi-official China News Service. Water in the province's Poyang Lake had risen above safety levels.

The agency said that about one million soldiers and civilians were working to limit flood damage in Jiangxi.

The deluge had also wreaked havoc in southern Guangxi province. China News Service said at least 19 people had been killed and more than 5,000 houses had collapsed. All rivers in the province had flooded.

Meteorologists warned of more rain in Guangxi in the next few days.