BEIJING, June 10, 2007
Heavy Rains Kill At Least 40 In China
178,000 Are Left Homeless; Death Toll Expected To Rise With Landslides And Flooding
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Damaged bridge caused by last week's heavy rainstorms and floods, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jiangxi Province, China (AP / file)
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The highest death toll in the rains, which started Thursday, was in crowded Guangdong province in the southeast, where 14 people were killed and four were missing, the Xinhua News Agency said.
Deaths and damage were reported in areas throughout southern China and the northwest.
In Guangdong, another 28 people were injured and 20,000 forced to flee their homes, Xinhua said.
Guangdong is the heart of China's export-driven light manufacturing industries, but there was no word of any damage to factories or shipping facilities.
In neighboring Hunan province, three people were dead, one missing and 158,000 left homeless, Xinhua said.
China suffers deaths and damage every summer when seasonal rains cause flash floods.
Big cities are sheltered by giant dikes but fatalities are reported in farm communities that lack protection from rising rivers, and in mountain towns that are hit by flash floods.
Millions of people in central and southern China live on flood-prone reclaimed farmland in the flood plains of rivers.
Flooding and typhoons killed 2,704 people last year, according to the China Meteorological Administration. That was the second-deadliest year on record after 1998, when summer flooding claimed 4,150 lives.
Elsewhere last week, two people were killed and 610 homes destroyed by floods in Guangxi, a poor, mountainous region to Guangdong's west, Xinhua reported, citing local officials.
Thousands of students who were taking national university entrance exams in Guangxi had to move to emergency centers after school buildings were flooded, the agency reported.
Rains in Guangxi destroyed 29 reservoirs, 362 embankments and 165 roads, and forced 59 factories to suspend production, Xinhua said, citing Chen Rundong, deputy director of the regional flood control office.
In Sichuan province in the southwest, seven people were killed by hailstorms, lightning strikes and landslides, Xinhua said.
In Guizhou, a mountainous southern province, seven people were killed and four more were missing, the agency said. It said 50,000 acres of farmland were flooded and 3,000 houses destroyed.
In the northwestern region of Xinjiang, a farmer was swept away by flood waters as he herded a flock of animals Thursday in the Yili region near the border with Kazakhstan, Xinhua said.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The secrets of tennis legend 
I worked for an US Company in Beijing for 3-years. Most that have spent any length of time, or even a visit to China will tell you that "Dog meat" is not on the menu. Most will also tell you that the military in China spends more time on humanitarian duties, particularly durring the flood and rain seasons than anthing else. Big cities in China are like New York, with shopping malls, Starbucks, TGI Fridays, Planet Hollywood, and a host of other types of western styles that the Gutter Trash do not know exists. In those cities large fund raising efforts are made for victems of natural disasters just like we do, and with as much passion.
Regarding comments about the killing of babies, that is a flat out lie. Throughout China are families of 3-4 children though economic incentives are given for those that keep to a 1-child goal. Those that are willing to take on more financial burden do have more children. Bottom line, is that Americans need to learn about other people and countries first hand, and not listen to the stupid comments of those whom truly speak without knowledge of anything but their own mindless rantings.
The Chinese have a long and rich heritage, a culture thousands of years old long before there even was an America. The people who are suffering have never done anything to the US, they are just trying to survive! Yes I am an American and proud to be a lifelong citizen. The trash that has spilled onto the comment area is done so by vicious self serving fools - I do not see them as Americans in any shape or form. Just ignorant bullying sloths who are so miserable in their own lives the only way they can feel better about themselves is by trying to make others look bad. No one asked to be born into poverty and virtual hopelessness. Only random chance made you racists born in the US. It could just as easily been your family killed by the flooding; your life long work snatched away
The Chinese have a long and rich heritage, a culture thousands of years old long before there even was an America. The people who are suffering have never done anything to the US, they are just trying to survive! Yes I am an American and proud to be a lifelong citizen. The trash that has spilled onto the comment area is done so by vicious self serving fools - I do not see them as Americans in any shape or form. Just ignorant bullying sloths who are so miserable in their own lives the only way they can feel better about themselves is by trying to make others look bad. No one asked to be born into poverty and virtual hopelessness. Only random chance made you racists born in the US. It could just as easily been your family killed by the flooding; your life long work snatched away.
Particularly in "if it moves, we eat it" Guangdong Province.
Hope they saved the toothpaste and dog food.
Posted by mort4u at 11:00 AM : Jun 10, 2007
Obviously, this isn't Bush's fault but the Iraq War sure the H*ll is.
- by mort4u June 10, 2007 2:00 PM EDT
- i guess this is George's fault...
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