Persistent rain affects 2.28 million people in NE China

BEIJING - Pounding rain in northeast China has affected 2.28 million people and caused flooding, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

Rainstorms caused waterlogging in parts of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Inner Mongolia. Rain-triggered flooding has ruined 1.07 million hectares of crops or plants, resulting in direct economic losses of 6.6 billion yuan (1.06 billion U.S. dollars), according to the headquarters.

By Saturday noon, there were no reports of casualties.

Flood prevention work along the Songhuajiang River is underway, with 22,143 people reinforcing dikes, according to the headquarters.