Thousands evacuated after dike breaches in central China

A dike breach was reported in the Juanshui River, central China's Hunan Province, at about 8 p.m. on Sunday, local authorities said.

By 3:58 a.m. on Monday, the breach in Yisuhe Township of Xiangtan County had widened to about 77 meters, according to the flood control and drought relief headquarters of Xiangtan City.

A total of 3,832 residents in Xintang and Xinhu villages affected by the floods have been evacuated and no casualties have been reported as of 7:30 a.m., according to China Media Group (CMG).

Arrangements have been made at four schools to provide drinking water, food and other basic living and healthcare materials for the displaced people, according to a report by Hunan Daily.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management has urged efforts to evacuate the affected people, mobilize personnel, materials and equipment, and ensure the safety of the locals and rescuers, and it has dispatched over 200 rescuers and 110 units of equipment to provide emergency support. 

Local firefighting authorities have sent 266 rescuers, 47 vehicles and 37 boats to the scene.

In response to the severe flooding in Xiangtan and other places in Hunan Province, the office of the National Disaster Reduction Commission and the ministry, together with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, have allocated 15,000 central relief supplies such as mattresses, emergency kits and quilts to flood-hit areas. CMG reported. 

On Sunday, another dike breach occurred in a section of the Juanshui River in Huashi Township, Xiangtan County, authorities said. The river flows into the Xiangjiang River, a major tributary of the Yangtze. 

Evacuation and emergency response efforts are underway.

The ministry said on Saturday that Hunan would experience heavy rainstorms and parts of the province would see "extremely heavy rainstorms from Saturday evening to Monday" due to the impact of Typhoon Gaemi.

(With input from Xinhua)