China upgrades emergency response to floods

Beijing: China upgraded its emergency response for flood control from level IV to level III on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Water Resources, as incessant downpours continued to wreak havoc in vast stretches of the country. Water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River as well as Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake have been rising as a result of sustained rainfall. A total of 16 rivers in Jiangxi and Anhui were struck by above-warning-level floods on Saturday, said the ministry.