HEFEI - The middle and lower reaches of the Huaihe River, China's third 
longest, face severe flood-control challenge as the water level might remain 
dangerously high for at least another 10 days. 
 
 
   A police academy student carries Cui 
 Guoying, 86, from her home along the Huaihe River in east China's Anhui 
 Province, July 19, 2007. [Shanghai Daily]
   | 
The dikes that have soaked 
in high water level for 19 days would be at an increased risk of breach in the 
coming 10 days, officials with the flood control headquarters in Anhui Province 
said Saturday. 
Anhui provincial authorities have found 517 places in the dikes in dangerous 
condition by 3:00 p.m. Friday, up from 502 places by Thursday. All the places 
were repaired in time. 
The Huaihe River area will see more rains on Saturday and Sunday, according 
to the China Meteorological Administration. 
Rains during the past few days have caused another 133,000 hectares of land 
to be flooded, bringing the total flooded area to 254,000 hectares. 
Water level in Hongze Lake in the lower reaches of the Huaihe River rose 0.16 
meter to 13.76 meters at 8:00 a.m. Saturday. It was 0.26 meter above the danger 
line. 
About 67,000 people in Anhui were forced by the swollen Huaihe River to 
evacuate from their homes on Thursday. 
Currently 182,000 people in Anhui are working to control flood in the Huaihe 
River. The provincial government has invested 54.9 million yuan in the 
flood-control work. 
More than 1 million people have been evacuated in Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu 
provinces from the projected path of floodwaters from the Huaihe River, which is 
expected to see its worst flooding since 1954. There is no report of death from 
the Huaihe River flood. 
The Huaihe River originates from Mount Taibai, Henan Province, and runs 
eastward between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, cutting through Henan 
and east China's Anhui and Jiangsu provinces before entering the Yangtze River 
via the Hongze Lake. 
Rains and ensuing floods, landslides and mud-rock flows wreaked havoc in 
China over the past week, killing 40 people in east China's Shandong Province, 
59 in Yunnan, 42 in Chongqing and at least 11 in Xinjiang.