Anthony
(2) 217 Families Missing As Severe Snowstorms Hit Qinghai Province
[CND, 01/17/98] According to China's official news agency Xinhua, 217
families of ethnic-Tibetan herdsman are reported missing as heavy
snowstorms and sub-freezing temperatures continue to bombard western
China's Qinghai province, AFP reported on Saturday.
The snowstorms have been hitting the mountainous areas of Yushu and Guoluo
provinces for months on end, bringing temperatures as low as -40 degrees
Celsius and taking a devastating toll in human lives and livestock. The
brutal weather has claimed the lives of 7,300 herdsmen and killed more
than 117,000 animals. More than 1,000 paramilitary police have been sent
to distribute aid, rescue the snowbound, and clear roads in the province,
which is located on the Himalayan Tibet-Qinghai plateau.
In addition to sending 5.2 million yuan in relief aid to Qinghai, the
government has also allocated 22 million yuan in aid to Tibet, which has
been crushed by its worst snow disaster in decades. (Terry Thompson, Ray
ZHANG)
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(3) Zhejiang Province Receives Flood Warning
[CND, 01/16/98] The recent unusually heavy rainfalls may cause severe
flooding in Zhejiang province, said a warning issued by the provicial
authorities to all official services, according to the Xinhua news agency
as quoted by AFP. The water levels in rivers and lakes in Zhejiang have
been rising due to the precipitation rate three to four times above normal
since Novenmber last year. (WU Fang, Guochen WAN)