Heavy rain in China has killed at least 87 people and forced thousands from their homes, state media reported.
Key points:
Heavy raining across China this summer has already killed more than 200 people
Angry villagers blame local officials for not warning them of the flood risks
It is not clear whether the flood was caused by a levee breaking or a local reservoir releasing water
Seventy-two people have been killed and 78 are missing in the northern province of Hebei after rain triggered floods and landslides, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing the civil affairs department.
Nearly 50,000 homes have collapsed, it said.
In the central province of Henan, 15 people were killed and eight were missing after thunderstorms and strong winds forced 72,000 people from their homes and damaged 18,000 houses.
Altogether about 8.6 million people have been affected by the flooding, according state media and local government reports.
Large parts of China have been inundated with rain this summer, killing more than 200 people.
More than 1.5 million hectares of crops have been damaged, leading to direct economic losses of more than 20 billion yuan ($4 billion), the Government said.
The central bank on Friday issued a statement saying it would provide financial support for flooded areas.
A flooded street in Handan, Hebei Province
PHOTO: A vehicle is seen passing a flooded street in Handan, Hebei Province. (Reuters: Stringer)
Officials under fire
Meanwhile, anger erupted on Saturday over the floods, with media and internet users accusing officials of negligence.
A flash flood near the city of Xingtai in Hebei province, which left nine dead and 11 missing, has become a focus of the public's dissatisfaction with the Government's response to the disaster.
Angry villagers have blamed local officials for failing to warn them of the impending deluge, with Hebei Satellite TV showing one resident saying water had reached chest-level before an alarm was raised.
"Not to notify villagers about the Xingtai flood wasn't just an abandonment of the officials' duty — it was essentially manslaughter," wrote one user of China's Sina Weibo microblog.
Photos of the aftermath showed telephone poles toppled and homes completely collapsed, and debris submerged in a tide of brown m&d.
Local deputy Communist party secretary Wang Qingfei drew ire for earlier comments that there had been "no casualties" in the flood, the Beijing News said.
A video of him kneeling before distraught, wailing relatives who lost family members was spread on social media, showing three distraught women clutching at his arm while asking how many had died.
Public scepticism towards officials is common following disasters in China, as authorities seek to control information and their lack of openness can raise doubts about their trustworthiness.
It remained unclear whether the flood, which struck early Wednesday while villagers slept, was the result of the levee of a nearby river breaking, a release of water from a local reservoir, or a combination of the two, the Beijing News said.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-...ills-at-least-87,-thousands-evacuated/7655258
