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Wednesday, Jun 23, 2010 5:05 PM UTC

Death toll in China flooding climbs to 211

With 2.4 million people already evacuated and 119 still missing, forecasters anticipate heavy rains to continue

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Topics: Floods, China,

The death toll from summer flooding across a wide swath of southern China climbed to 211 on Wednesday, as a river in Jiangxi province overflowed its banks but did not cause any additional casualties, authorities and state media said.

The misery in the area of 10 provinces, regions and municipalities was expected to continue, with forecasters saying heavy rains were expected for the next three days.

The Fuhe River breached its banks Wednesday morning, but residents had been moved to safety the night before, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It came two days after a dike on another portion of the river burst, forcing the evacuations of about 100,000 people.

No casualties related to the breaches were reported, but the Ministry of Civil Affairs said the death toll from more than a week of storms had reached 211. The ministry said 119 people remained missing and a total of 2.4 million people have been evacuated.

China Central Television showed paramilitary personnel stacking sandbags in knee-deep mud and carrying people on their backs across fast-moving water. Rescuers in boats have been moving residents to safety, some of them holdouts who refused to leave their homes despite the threat of flooding, CCTV said.

China sustains major flooding annually along the Yangtze and other major rivers, but this year’s floods have been especially devastating. Direct economic losses were estimated at 43.3 billion yuan ($6.4 billion), the ministry said.

Associated Press

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

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