:eek: THIS SOUNDS PERFECT: LET’S PUT THE OLYMPICS ON HERE…
BEIJING, May 7 AFP - Almost half a billion people wereaffected by natural disasters in China last year, withmore than 2,000 dying and some seven million displaced,statistics showed today.
According to figures jointly published by the NationalStatistical Bureau and the National MeteorologicalBureau, a massive 490 million people, or a third of thepopulation, were hit by calamities like floods andearthquakes.
It was not clear to what extent they were impactedalthough 2,259 died, while 7.07 million people were forced tomove from their homes to safer places, Xinhua newsagency reported.
In addition, 4.43 million houses were damaged withfinancial losses running at 188.42 billion yuan $US22.7billion ($A31.51 billion).
Some 8.55 million hectares of crops were wiped outwhile 87 million hectares of farmland or cultivated landwas damaged. :eek: