China issues emergency alert for flood-hit Anhui, Fujian

Chinese authorities initiated a grade IV emergency response for torrential rain and floods in Anhui and Fujian provinces on Monday.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the China National Commission for Disaster Reduction sent work teams to assist relief efforts in the two provinces, where storms have brought floods and hail since July 20.

In east China's Anhui, floods killed five people and impacted 2.12 million, with 136,000 people relocated to safety as of 10:00 a.m. Monday. More than 1,100 houses collapsed and 4,900 others were damaged to various degrees in floods.

In southeast China's Fujian, floods left 12 dead and four missing. The disaster forced the relocation of 170,000 people with 2,700 houses having been completely destroyed.

Anhui provincial government has allocated 10.5 million yuan (1.69 million U.S. dollars) as a relief fund, and the Fujian government has channeled three million yuan to flood-hit regions.

A grade IV response, the lowest in the country's emergency response system, means a 24-hour alert, daily damage reports, and dispatching money and relief materials within 48 hours.