BEIJING – Floods, droughts, an earthquake and freezing conditions in China caused direct economic losses of 23.76 billion yuan (S$4.46 billion) in the first quarter, the government said on April 13.

The emergency management ministry cited damage from several cold spells, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in the north-western region of Xinjiang, landslides in Yunnan province in the south-west and flooding of the Yellow River.

The disasters killed 79 people, while 110,000 needed emergency relocation and resettlement and 10.4 million people across 26 regions and provinces were affected in the period, the ministry said in a report.

Other natural disasters included a drought in the south-west affecting 424,000ha of crops, sandstorms in the north-west, and forest fires in the south-west and south.

In 2023, natural disasters in China caused 345.45 billion yuan of direct economic losses, with 691 people dead or missing, the ministry reported in January.

The ministry also said it plans a three-year campaign to tackle problems hampering response times during disasters and accidents, including production safety lapses in sectors like mining. REUTERS