Thousands Evacuated in One of the Worst Flood-Hit Cities in Central China

(Wuhan) – Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated from Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei in central China as water levels in a river cutting across the city reached dangerously high levels, government officials said.

The water level in the Dongjing River, a tributary of the large Han River, rose close to its historic peak of 32 meter on July 5 and threatened to overflow, according to state broadcaster China Central Television. This prompted authorities to evacuate 19,000 residents in 12 villages and one neighborhood in Wuhan's Caidian District, the state broadcaster said.