Natural disasters in China killed 147, affected 16M people in July: Ministry

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Natural disasters in China impacted nearly 16 million people and resulted in 147 fatalities in July, according to the country’s Ministry of Emergency Management.

During the same period, 703,000 people were urgently relocated and resettled due to the calamities. The disasters also caused the collapse of 4,300 houses, severe damage to 8,400 homes and minor damage to 40,000 residences.

Thousands of hectares of farmland were also impacted by the natural disasters, resulting in a direct economic loss of 41 billion yuan ($5.7 billion), China Daily reported, citing the ministry’s data.

Beijing responded by activating a Level 4 emergency in many provinces due to severe rains and floods. A task force has been dispatched to assist and provide support to the affected people.

The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Water Resources allocated 450 million yuan ($63 million) in response to support flood prevention efforts and repair damaged infrastructure in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Throughout August, these regions are expected to receive more rainfall compared to previous years, and temperatures are expected to be on par with or exceed historical records for the same period, according to forecasts.

China has been witnessing its highest rainfall in 140 years since Typhoon Doksuri hit the country last Friday.

In northwest China, a 10-day heat wave is forecast to begin Friday, with temperatures reaching 40C (104F) in some areas.