Flood waters recede along upper Yangtze

The Yangtze River, China's largest waterway, is receding after days of flooding which have affected hundreds of thousands of people along the river's upper reaches, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said Wednesday.

Waters along the river's middle and lower reaches are calm now that the highest flood peak in nine years has smoothly passed the Three Gorges Dam, said the headquarters.

On Wednesday afternoon, the water inflow into the dam receded to 62,500 cubic meters per second -- 8,700 cubic meters per second less than the peak flow, according to data released by the headquarters.

Water inflow into the dam area reached 71,200 cubic meters per second at 8 p.m. Tuesday, marking a water flow greater than that seen during the devastating 1954 and 1998 Yangtze floods.

It was the highest flood peak seen at the dam since it was established in 2003. And the dam managed to reduce the force to just 43,000 cubic meters per second, according to China's Three Gorges Corporation.

Authorities have allocated human and material resources to fight flooding, and no major emergencies have been reported so far, said the headquarters.

Torrential rains have devastated 22 provincial-level regions in China since July 20, leaving 111 dead and another 47 missing, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Tuesday.