Vice-premier inspects housing Vice-Premier Li Keqiang (third from left) talks to staff at the public housing service hall of the Wanshoulu subdistrict office in Beijing's Haidian district on Wednesday during a trip to inspect public housing services in the capital. Photo by Rao Aimin / Xinhua

Beijing

Capital to dredge rivers after flood

Beijing will step up flood-control efforts by dredging river channels and reinforcing dikes and reservoirs after a devastating rainstorm killed 79 people last month and sparked nationwide fury over the city's lack of focus on flood prevention.

By October, workers will have cleared sludge and other waste that was washed into rivers by the July 21 rainstorm, the capital's heaviest in 61 years, Cheng Jing, head of the Beijing Water Authority, said on Wednesday.

The city will also harness its 34 small and medium-sized rivers, reinforce 13 reservoirs and renovate flood control works in 15 river basins, Cheng said, adding that these projects will be completed by June next year.

Guangxi

Officers drive car into pedestrians

Two police officers are under investigation after driving a police car into seven pedestrians and cyclists on Tuesday in Nanning, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

According to investigators with the Nanning Public Security Bureau, the two officers were on their way back to the Jiangnan branch of the Nanning bureau at 5 pm on Tuesday when their vehicle hit the people on a road near Tingzi Vegetable Market.

Blood tests indicate that the driver of the car did not have alcohol in his system at the time of the incident.

Hospital sources said two of the victims were severely injured, but the injuries were not life-threatening.

Sichuan

Hit-and-run vehicle owned by police

A vehicle involved in a hit-and-run that killed two people has been confirmed to be a police car, traffic police in Yibin, Sichuan province said, newssc.net reported on Wednesday.

Traffic police said that on Aug 19 a motorcycle hit a person on a downtown street before a white car drove over the motorcycle driver and the pedestrian. Both victims were lying on the ground. One of the victims died at the scene and the other died later in hospital. The white car left the scene after the accident.

The white car was found the next morning and confirmed to be a traffic police car driven by a community traffic management assistant.

Hunan

Appeals of gang leaders rejected

Two members of a criminal gang in Hengyang city, Hunan province, have been sentenced to death, suspended for two years, and 32 members of the gang have received hefty jail terms, Xiaoxiang Morning News reported on Wednesday.

Hengyang Intermediate People's Court heard the case against the gang on April 19, 2011 and passed judgment four days later. The suspects' appeals were dismissed by Hunan High People's Court on Tuesday.

From May 2004, gang leader Yin Jian ran an entertainment company providing drugs and prostitution in Hengyang. The gang also bribed Chen Xiaoping, former deputy director of the city's public security bureau Shigu branch, in a bid to protect its illegal business.

Jilin

Death toll likely to be 20 in accident

The death toll from a coal-mine accident in Northeast China's Jilin Province is likely to hit 20, as 13 miners still trapped in the collapsed mine after 10 days have little chance of still being alive, according to the rescue headquarters.

A spokesman with the headquarters said on Wednesday that a high concentration of gas had prevented rescuers from getting into the pit, owned by Jisheng Coal Mine in the city of Baishan, after an accident triggered by a coal and gas blast on Aug 13 at about 6 am.

The mine shaft collapsed after the explosion, killing four miners and trapping 17 others underground. Rescuers managed to lift four miners to the ground, but three of them died later in a hospital.

Shaanxi

2 dead, 3 buried in building collapse

A collapse in a construction site in Northwest China's Shaanxi province on Wednesday has killed two workers, local authorities have said.

As of 3 pm, three people were still buried in the debris.

The accident happened at about 10 am at a carpet factory building under construction in Yulin city, trapping 18 workers, according to the city government.

Of the 15 workers whom rescuers pulled out of the debris, two later died. The others suffered minor injuries.

Chongqing

Mountains reopen with less fire risk

Local authorities in Southwest China's Chongqing have reopened several mountains to the public as lower temperatures reduce the risk of forest fire.

On Aug 16, the local forest fire prevention headquarters closed Gele Mountain and Tieshanping forest park to non-local residents and vehicles as a precaution due to the severe fire danger.

The fire prevention authority reopened the two mountains on Tuesday as rainy weather cooled the temperature and lowered the fire threat, the Chongqing Evening News reported.

China Daily - Xinhua

(China Daily 08/23/2012 page2)