China dispatches team to aid flood response in Heilongjiang

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Wednesday dispatched a team to assist and guide flood prevention and control work in Heilongjiang Province, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

Due to persistent heavy downpours, 11 rivers in the northeastern province saw flooding exceed warning lines on Monday.

The headquarters is maintaining a Level-III emergency response to flooding in Hunan, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi, with some of these provinces reporting flooding exceeding alert marks.

Heavy rains are forecast to hit the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, with rising water levels reported in the river, the Taihu Lake and nearby river networks, according to the headquarters and the ministry.

The ministry has urged efforts to plan and implement effective flood prevention and control measures in river basins, improve the accuracy of early warning information, and ensure the operations of emergency communication networks.

China also activated a Level-IV emergency response for disaster relief on Wednesday, following flooding and disasters triggered by heavy rains in central China's Hunan Province.

Some 30,000 disaster-relief materials, including tents, foldable beds and mattresses, have been allocated to the Hunan and Hubei provinces.