Continuous heavy rain over the past few days has caused a section of the Yangtze River to burst its banks in Yueyang, a city in central China's Hunan Province, a local water official confirmed Thursday.

Currently the longest crack on the riverbank is 600 meters and just 60 meters from the main dyke of the Yangtze, the longest waterway in China, said the official with the Hunan Provincial Water Resources Bureau.

The flood is the most serious in recent years, said Liu Guhua, head of the Yueyang City flood control headquarters.

If the crack continues to grow it would pose a threat to the safety of the Yangtze's main dyke and the lives and properties of local people, Liu said.

The Hunan section of the Yangtze River stretches for 163 km from Wumakou of Huarong County to Tieshanzui of Linxiang City. A 142-km-long dyke stretches along the Hunan section of the Yangtze. Cracks on the river bank have been frequently reported in this area but have been brought under control since 1998 through government initiatives.

Strong scouring of the Yangtze, expansion of the river course and changes in water volumes are to blame for the riverbank bursting, said Wu Wensheng, head of the Yueyang City Yangtze River Restoration Project Department.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters have sent experts to the area to deal with the emergency.

The flood control headquarters of Yueyang City are monitoring the situation.

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2006)