Beijing 19th August : The number of deaths from the flash flood in China’s Qinghai province has risen to 17 with 17 more people missing the local authorities have confirmed.Twenty people previously reported missing were rescued and more than 4,500 policemen, firefighters, emergency response personnel, servicemen and local residents carried the rescue and search operations, Xinhua news agency quoted an official in the provincial government as saying.
The heavy rain, which began at 10.25 p.m.Wednesday and continued to pour down, smashed Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County in the capital city of the province Xining.
On Thursday, the heavy downpours had triggered flash floods and mudslides, and caused rivers to shift their course.
An estimated total of 6,245 residents in six villages were affected, and at least two homes were swept away, and 14 more were badly damaged.
Ma Mingxu, head of the county government, said that temporary shelters were set up at two schools in order to accommodate more than 1,200 persons.
The Ministries of Finance and Emergency Management have teamed up to allocate 50 million yuan ($7) of natural disaster relief funds, and another 50 million dollars from the provincial department of finance.
The funds are used to fund disaster relief and emergency rescue efforts, which will focus on rescuing, searching, and relocating people affected by disasters and further disaster-related detection efforts, repair of damaged homes and other aspects.
