BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Emergency Management on Thursday jointly activated a Level III emergency response for a mountain flood in northwest China's Qinghai Province.
As of about 12:00 p.m., 16 people were confirmed dead and 36 others missing after the flood hit Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County in the province.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has communicated with its provincial emergency department concerning the disaster situation. It has also sent a work group to Qinghai to provide guidance on disaster relief work.
The local fire fighting department has sent 23 vehicles and 116 rescuers to the site. Rescue teams from neighboring areas are on call for duty.
China has a four-level emergency response system for disaster relief, with Level IV being the lowest and Level I the highest. ■
