The order came after mountain floods triggered by continuous torrential rain in the past week killed 25 people and left 13 missing in Hunan Province, and torrential rains in south China's Guangdong Province on May 16 and 17 left 15 people dead and eight others missing.

In an instruction made public on Sunday, the premier said governments, including water resources departments, at all levels should attach great importance to flood control and drought prevention to ensure the safety of people and the normal performance of the economy in areas hit by floods even as the country was fighting severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

According to a report released by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, seven provincial areas experienced heavy rains from May 12 to 18.

The areas include south China's Hunan and Guangdong Provinces, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, east China's Jiangxi and Fujian Provinces, and southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The Xiangjiang River basin was hit by the worst flood in a decade, it said.

Many areas in these provincial regions recorded rainfall of about 100 mm during the past week.

The headquarters, which coordinates the country's efforts to curb flood and drought, called on local governments to do their utmost in flood control while fighting SARS.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2003)