At least 66 people were feared dead as torrential rains swamped parts of southern China and floods moved towards the industrial city of Changsha.
The looming disaster in large parts of the mainland forced Premier Wen Jiabao to issue a statement warning that anti-flood defence should not be forgotten in the heat of the battle against SARS.
Twenty-eight people were confirmed killed and more than 10 were missing in southern Hunan province after sustained rainfall triggered massive floods, a local official said.
The rain had also caused a flood crest, which was moving along the Xiang river and was gradually forcing water levels in Changsha, the capital of Hunan, to dangerous levels, said the official.
The level of the Xiang at Changsha had reached 37.8 metres (126 feet), 2.8 metres above the warning line.
Rainfall of about 100 millimeters (four inches) has hit parts of Hunan over the past week, causing the worst floods in the Xiang basin in a decade. Altogether more than 1.2 million people have been affected by the flooding to various degrees.
AFP