China activates emergency response to flooding in Shaanxi Province

BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China's National Disaster Reduction Commission on Thursday activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in the northwestern Shaanxi Province.

The commission has also dispatched a team to guide and assist local governments with disaster relief and rescue efforts to ensure the basic needs of the affected residents, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

China's weather authorities on Thursday renewed a yellow alert, the third-most severe warning, for rainstorms in several regions in the country, including the southern area of Shaanxi.

According to the forecast, heavy to torrential rains are expected to hit the southern and southwestern parts of Shaanxi from Wednesday to Saturday. In response, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Wednesday activated a Level-IV emergency response in the province.

The Level-IV response is the lowest in China's four-tier emergency response system.