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Central News Agency 26/09/08
TAIPEI—Heavy rain and landslides since Monday have seriously damaged the area which was hit by the May 12 Sichuan earthquake. The latest toll stands at nine dead, 340 injured, 35 missing in Beichuan County, and eight dead and 38 missing in Mianyang City.
Torrential rains have affected 120,000 people in 22 towns of Beichuan County, according to China News Service (CNS). Landslides blocked the spillway of Tangjiashan Quake Lake, which was formed after the Sichuan Earthquake. The blockage has caused flooding of more than 5,000 homes, a number of schools, 26 roads and the destruction of over 120 miles of roadbed.
Mianyang City in Sichuan Province is one of China’s major centers for the electronics industry. According to the Public Affairs office of the city, strong winds and heavy downpours have affected more than 530,000 people in 87 towns, leaving 6,500 people trapped, eight dead and 38 missing. The city has had an average rainfall of two inches, since Monday, with almost 12 inches in the towns of Jiangyoumajiao and Chonghua. Heavy rains have caused 2,200 houses to collapse, damaged 8,500 houses and affected more than 23,000 acres of crops. Direct economic losses in Mianyang have been estimated to be $35 million.
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