East China's Jiangxi launches emergency response for rainstorms

East China's Jiangxi Province activated a provincial level IV emergency response, the lowest in the emergency response system, for heavy rains at 8am Saturday, according to local authorities.

Starting Tuesday, downpours have affected more than 440,000 people in the province and caused direct economic losses of 400 million yuan (about US$56.49 million).

The province has allocated quilts, blankets and other disaster-relief materials to the disaster-affected areas and prepared to allocate emergency relief funds to support the disaster-relief work.

The provincial meteorological department forecasts that heavy rains will last into Sunday in southern Jiangxi.

The province requires relevant departments to issue early warning information to disaster-affected areas in a timely manner, relocate and resettle people in advance, and ensure the safety of their lives and property.