Heavy Flood Damage In China

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27427, 13 August 1954, Page 11

Heavy Flood Damage In China

(Rec. 9 p.m.) HONG KONG, August 12. The great rivers of Communist China have flooded areas as widespread as the provinces of Honan in the north, Hupeh in the centre, and Kwangsi in the south, according to local press reports. The first report that rivers in Kwangsi had flooded was contained in a Chinese language newspaper, “Wah Kiu Yat Po,” today. The newspaper said the flood waters covered 3,000,000 mou (5000 acres) of land and had destroyed 8000 houses in Kwangsi. Casualties were “numerous.” The newspaper estimated that more than 25 per cent, of the early rice crop growing area in Kwangsi was undet water. The Peking Radio reported that people of Hankow were still winning in the battle against the surging Yangtse river and were continuing to reinforce the dykes. Comrrtunist Chinese reports have acknowledged that there is flooding only in “low-lying areas” but almost every province has been mentioned in the official reports of flood prevention activity. , The Ministry of Food has indirectly acknowledged that in some areas the situation is serious by announcing the shipment of rice and buckwheat seeds to enable “famine stricken peasants to resow after draining the water and combating the flood.”