About 13,000 people affected by a flood in central China's Hubei Province have moved to safe places, according to a source of the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters on Monday.

A heavy rain has been hitting the Danjiangkou Reservoir along the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River, flooding some counties and cutting off several roads in the city of Shiyan since Thursday. The water level of the reservoir rose to 154.67 meters at 8 AM Monday, the source said.

Contingency measures are underway to control the autumn flood in the Hanjiang River, one of the major tributaries of the Yangtze River, said Cai Qihua, deputy director of the flood control headquarters of Yangtze.

Dams along the middle and lower reaches of the Hanjiang River are kept under careful examination and detailed recording, and weather changes are also under close watch, Cai said.

Vice governor of Hubei Province Liu Youfan ordered relevant departments to investigate the flood situation, guide the flood-relief work and evacuate people concerned in time.

Weather forecast showed the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River will still face heavy rain in the coming two days, which will make the flood-control work more complicated.

"The flood is still under control though it seems still severe," Cai said.
 
(Xinhua News Agency October 4, 2005)