Chinese authorities are being ordered to prepare for new flooding as the death toll from weeks of weather-related disasters continues to rise.
The official Xinhua news agency said Monday that two more periods of heavy rainfall are forecast across China. It said local authorities have been instructed to evacuate residents from high-risk areas and set up emergency shelters well in advance.
More than 2,300 people have died across China in weeks of flooding and mudslides triggered by torrential rains. The toll now stands at 1,254 dead in Zhouqu, a town in northwest Gansu province that was partly buried by mud a week ago.
A town official told the French news agency that roads to the town are still clogged with mud, hampering relief efforts.