CHINESE authorities on Monday held a video conference to discuss the country’s rain, flooding, drought and geological disaster situations. The meeting was co-organized by the office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management, and was joined by the China Meteorological Administration, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Natural Resources. Severe mountain torrents and mudslides have occurred recently in multiple parts of China, according to the meeting. Parts of the main stream of the Songhua River and the Haihe River Basin continue to run at relatively high water levels in their descending stages, and dikes in Hebei and Tianjin are in a critical period of flood control, it said. Heavy rainstorms are lashing the south of the country, while drought is evolving in northern regions including Gansu and Xinjiang, the meeting said. It noted that flood control and drought relief situations remain grim for China. Gansu, Xinjiang and other drought-stricken areas should take close care to undertake their responsibility to combat drought at all levels, and make scientific use of various water resources. Meanwhile, seven people were killed in a rockslide Monday night in the suburbs of Yichang City, Central China’s Hubei Province, the local government confirmed. Falling rocks hit a passing van on a country road at around 8:30 p.m. and all the seven people on board were killed, the county government said.(Xinhua) | 