250,000 evacuated due to China floods

BEIJING - Over 253,500 people have been safely evacuated in China’s Liaoning province after torrential rains caused waters to rise to the danger level in a major river bordering China and North Korea, officials said Sunday.

The residents were relocated in less than 24 hours from late Saturday to Sunday, Xinhua reported citing provincial flood control authorities.

However, no new casualties were reported Sunday, after authorities said late Saturday that four people were killed in Dandong city.

Heavy rainfall that began Thursday swelled the Yalu river on the China-North Korea border. On Saturday night, the water level in Dandong rose to 2.35 metres above the warning level, the highest in a decade.

Though water levels began to dip Sunday as rains stopped, authorities warned that the danger has not yet passed.

Over 2,000 soldiers have been mobilised to rescue stranded residents. Seventy vehicles, 38 speed boats and six helicopters were used in the rescue operations.

The floods have caused collapse of around 360 houses and disrupted transportation, telecommunications and power supply in some areas.