5.19 mln people affected by heavy rainfall: official

Beijing (CNS) -- During the past week, heavy rainfall and flooding have affected 5.19 million people in ten areas including provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi and Gansu, and led to direct economic losses of 4.3 billion yuan, an official source confirmed on May 14.

Floods that rang alarms occurred in over thirty rivers in the past week, said Chen Lei, deputy commander of State Flood Control and Drought Resistance Headquarters.

Chen said the government has placed the highest priority on flood control and disaster relief, dispatching several emergency work teams to flood-stricken areas.