Thirty-one people had been killed, eight missing and 171 injured
by 11 AM on Thursday as rainstorms continued to rage in east
China's Shandong Province, according to the Chinese
Ministry of Civil Affairs.
By Thursday morning, 5,718 households had been flooded and 135
houses destroyed in cities that included Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai and
Zibo, the ministry said.
This is the strongest rainfall in Shandong this year and Jinan,
the provincial capital, received a record of 180 mm of rainfall
within three hours from 5:00 PM to 8:00?PM on Wednesday, the
city's meteorological bureau said.
The rainstorm also cut off traffic, electricity and water supply
for three hours in Jinan, according to the local government.
There is no report on economic loss, number of affected
residents and collapsed houses amid the rainfall.
(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency July 19, 2007)
