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WORLD NEWS: China flood crisis
Updated: 19-Jun-2008
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Airlines have been hit badly with the rising cost in aviation fuel.
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Around 63 people have already been killed in nine provinces across the region this month. It has been reported that nearly 1.67 million people have been evacuated from their homes over the last 10 days. Up to 70,000 of those evacuated are from Wenchuan County, Sichuan, the epicentre of the deadly quake in May.
The recent heavy rain has lead to mass flooding with tens of thousands of homes being destroyed and crops being submerged. The civil affairs ministry in China has said they expect the flooding to cost the economy around 2.1 billion US dollars.
Food prices in the region have now risen beyond levels of inflation and officials are now patrolling shops enforcing those selling produce to reduce their prices and clamping down on all price hikes. The increased food prices have only added to high levels of inflation already being experienced in China and the problems related to this.
Authorities claim that 200 people have already lost their lives this summer season due to the floods, however, this is not as bad as 1998, when it is reported around 4,000 people were killed due to severe flooding.
Military forces have now been deployed in the south of the country to try and reinforce current flood protection and prevent further destruction of property and loss of life.
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