LANZHOU: Gansu Province in northwest China on Saturday initiated a Level II emergency response to floods, the second-highest in the country’s four-tier emergency response system. The province’s water resources department announced the decision, saying heavy rains have touched off mountain torrents, formed several dangerous barrier lakes, and caused a flood in the Yellow River. The disastrous situation is still worsening as torrential downpours are predicted in the coming three days. Rainstorms and floods have wreaked havoc in Gansu since Aug. 10, damaging 721 km of levees, of which 2.5 km gave way to floodwater. Zhouqu County, among the hardest hit by rain-triggered floods, on Wednesday activated a top-level emergency response for flood control and natural disaster relief. – Agencies
