E China hailstorm disaster death toll rises to 7

NANCHANG, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The death toll resulting from hailstorms and severe convective weather that has been affecting east China's Jiangxi Province since Sunday has risen to seven, local authorities said on Wednesday.

As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, 54 counties in nine cities, including the provincial capital of Nanchang, had been hit by the weather disaster, with 93,000 people affected, according to statistics from the Jiangxi provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

The severe weather has resulted in damage to 5,700 hectares of crops, while 12 households suffered collapsed homes and another 80 households severely damaged homes. An immediate estimate of the direct economic losses caused by the disaster has reached 150 million yuan (about 21.1 million U.S. dollars).

Provincial headquarters launched a level-3 flood control emergency response at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, prompted by the risk of river flooding due to the severe weather.

The provincial meteorological department issued alerts aimed at warning the public to refrain from going outdoors while the weather persists, and to avoid entering culverts, underpasses and other stagnant water areas in case of heavy precipitation.