Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has urged government agencies to continue efforts in fighting floods and other disasters, after heavy rains hit most of southwest and east China, triggering floods, landslides and mud-rock flows.

Hui stressed that the period to mid August was a critical time when the nation could expect frequent natural disasters.

He asked government agencies to strengthen defense against floods, landslides and mud-rock flows, so as to minimize casualties and losses.

The Office for the National Disaster Reduction Commission issued a notice Wednesday to call on local civil affairs departments to follow the instructions from Hui.

Floods triggered by torrential rains left 22 people dead and seven missing in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday. A landslide in Sichuan on Saturday killed at least six people and destroyed a bridge that is a key link for reconstruction of Wenchuan County, epicenter of the 8-magnitude earthquake in May last year.

In southwest China's Guizhou Province, torrential rains since Sunday morning destroyed 17 houses and damaged more than 5 kilometers of highways.

In east China's Jiangxi Province, about 17,500 people had been evacuated to safe places by Monday, after heavy rains swept eastern parts of the province for four days.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2009)