PLA troops evacuate over 56,000 people as summer rainstorms trigger floods

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops have rescued and evacuated a total of 56,123 residents from floods and relocated them to safer places since July, a Chinese military spokesperson said Thursday.

As of July 25, about 271 tonnes of emergency supplies have also been sent to flood-striken areas, said Ren Guoqiang, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson, at a press conference.

The PLA and the armed police have dispatched 14,212 officers and soldiers and organized 56,017 militia reserves to fight against disasters, Ren said. A total of 979 engineering machines and vehicles have been used for disaster relief and typhoon control in affected areas.

Since July, rainstorms and typhoons have hit many regions across the country, triggering landslides and floods.