Work team despatched after river embankment breached in China

Beijing, Aug 14 (IANS) China has sent a team of experts to north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where the embankment of a river was breached following recent torrential rains.

The dike breach, measuring over 10 metres in width, occurred at the Laoha River in Taipingdi Town of Chifeng City on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has deployed 100 people and 35 sets of rescue equipment from a disaster response base to handle the emergency and arranged another 460 rescuers, 56 sets of equipment and 4 helicopters on standby.Efforts should be made to swiftly block the breach and reinforce the embankment, transfer local residents and restore the normal order in the area as soon as possible, the ministry said.