Some 1,500 people in a central China city have been evacuated after the embankment of an artificial river burst and flooded homes.

A 50-meter levee of the river near Dangyang City, Hubei Province, broke at around 11:00 PM on Friday, flooding more than 300 houses and submerging croplands, the Hubei provincial flood control authorities said.

More than 500 people, including 300 soldiers, have plugged up more than half of the breached section with sandbags and stakes.

Heavy rain has swept the province since Wednesday, affecting some 360,000 people and causing economic losses of 113 million yuan (US$16.4 million).

(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2008)