The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Wednesday announced the end of this year's flood season, saying that 1,029 people were killed by floods during the period.

Zhang Zhitong, a senior official with the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said that by Sept. 15, floods had affected a total of about 7.59 million hectares of cropland and 114.70 million people, killed 1,029 persons, demolished 650,000 rooms and caused 64.7 billion yuan (US$7.8 billion) of direct economic loss.

Altogether 773 of those killed and missing came as the result of mountain torrents and mud-rock flows, he said.

Since the beginning of the flood season, Zhand noted, China's major embankments and reservoirs were in safe condition, despite floods having occurred at some parts of Yangtze, Huaihe and Zhujiang rivers.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2004)