BEIJING (Reuters) – Floods, drought, an earthquake and freezing conditions in China caused direct economic losses of 23.76 billion yuan ($3.28 billion) in the first quarter, the government said on Saturday.
The Ministry of Emergency Management cited damage caused by several cold spells, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in the northwestern Xinjiang region, landslides in southwestern Yunnan province and flooding on the Yellow River (OTC:).
The disasters killed 79 people while 110,000 required emergency relocation and resettlement and 10.4 million people in 26 regions and provinces were affected in the period, the ministry said in a report.
Other natural disasters included a drought in the Southwest that affected 424,000 hectares (10,500 acres) of crops, dust storms in the Northwest, and forest fires in the Southwest and South.
Natural disasters in China caused 345.45 billion yuan ($47.7 billion) in direct economic losses last year, with 691 people dead or missing, the ministry said in January.
The ministry said in January it plans a three-year campaign to address problems that hinder response times during disasters and accidents, including production safety disruptions in sectors such as mining.
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