Lifesaving top priority, premier says

Major evacuation efforts as rain continues to lash Sichuan

Premier Li Keqiang called on Thursday for rescuers to do their utmost to save lives as rain-triggered natural disasters across the country have killed at least 30 people and left 67 others missing since Sunday.

"Governments in disaster-affected regions must improve monitoring, issue early warnings and watch weather conditions closely," Li said.

Floods and landslides have affected about 3.73 million people in 17 provincial-level regions, forcing the evacuation of 212,000 residents, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said. Rainstorms have destroyed more than 8,400 houses and damaged another 113,000, causing direct economic losses of 8.56 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), according to the ministry.

In Sichuan province, one of the hardest-hit areas, people are struggling with floods but being helped by rescuers.

Hong Chi wept as she saw her 83-year-old father Hong Tongjin and 79-year-old mother Xiao Kaiqiong after getting off a bus in Zhongxing, a town in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province, at noon on Thursday. The area was hit by a landslide on Wednesday.

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