Shanghai
dispatched its first rescue team of 300 people to assist Wuhu, Anhui
province with flood control on Sunday, one day after the province
activated a Level I emergency response - the highest in a four-tier
emergency response system. Due to heavy
rainfall, the water level has been constantly rising in Chaohu Lake,
China's fifth-largest freshwater lake, in Auhui. The level at the Tangxi
hydrological station of Chaohu Lake reached 12.77 meters on Sunday,
higher than the warning levels, according to the provincial flood
control authorities. The situation is expected to worsen as local weather authorities have predicted more rainfalls on Tuesday. Since the
beginning of July, the floods in China have affected over 23.85 million
residents in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
including Jiangxi province, Hubei province and Chongqing, resulting in
31 people dead or missing, and economic losses of 64.39 billion yuan.
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