Floodwaters caused by continuous rains have damaged levees on
the Yellow River and altered the course of the river by more than
100 meters in east China, say flood control authorities.
The runoff in the section in Shandong Province was 3,600 cubic
meters per second on Monday.
Rocks had been flushed out from the bases of seven levees in
Yuncheng county since Thursday and the levees had collapsed in
places, said an official with the Shandong bureau of Yellow River
Conservancy Committee.
Local officials and residents had repaired the damaged levees
with the help of experts from the Yellow River flood control
headquarters, the official said.
The official said the Yellow River flood in the Shandong section
would remain dangerous for the next few days.
Meanwhile, people in Juancheng county demolished a floating
bridge over the Yellow River because it was obstructing
floodwaters, causing a section of watercourse to move more than 100
meters northward.
In Juancheng, residents have built a cofferdam to prevent the
course from further changes.
More than 1,000 people were still monitoring the embankments in
Juancheng.
(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2007)