A joint team dispatched by the Chinese State Council has arrived in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province to investigate flood relief work, said sources with the State Council Thursday.

The team, headed by Supervision Minister Li Zhilun, has listened to reports given by provincial and city level officials on relief work and inspected the scene. They also visited teachers, students and families.

The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the central government are highly concerned about the families of the flood victims and the people in Shalan Town, said Li.

Local authorities, the Liberation Army, the Armed Police and the public security officers have done great work in disaster relief and maintaining social stability; life and production have returned to normal and the cause of the disaster and responsible officials have been investigated, according to the joint team.

The team will further investigate the cause of and damage done by the flood, find out malpractice of officials or departments in fighting the flood, and inspect and give advice to local emergency teams, said Li.

The joint team is composed of officials with the ministries of supervision, water resources, education, public security, civil affairs and land and resources, the China Meteorological Administration, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Heilongjiang Provincial People's Government.

The devastating flood that occurred on June 10 in Shalan Town of Ning'an City claimed the lives of 117 people, including 105 school children, and caused 120 million yuan (about US$14.6 million) of economic losses.

State Councilor Chen Zhili led a work team to Shalan to guide the rescue work on June 12 on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2005)