Information from the Hainan Provincial Office for Flood, Wind and Drought Control said the flood that took place from October 12-17 was the most serious in 100 years.

Among the 10 people killed, eight were farmers and the other two were Wu Huadong, an officer with the People's Armed Forces Department of Qiongshan and Wei Chuanli, a village official from Chengmai County.

When the flood happened, thousands of soldiers stationed in Hainan and local able-bodied young people were organized to work together to combat flooding and successfully moved some 200,000 local residents to safe and higher ground.

After the flood was over, health and hygienic workers went door to door to give out medicine, help pasteurize sources of drinking water and residential quarters in flood-hit areas, launch campaigns to kill mosquitoes, flies and mice, and to spread knowledge on health and prevention of epidemic diseases among flood victims, which have effectively prevented an outbreak of epidemic diseases.

In a related case, Wu Zhenliang, deputy head of Lingkou Township of Ding'an County, was expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and was also stripped from the post of being a public servant for his desertion before the flood by the county committee of the CPC and the county government.

(Xinhua 10/24/2000)