China's Yangtze River flood response raised to second highest

People (foreground) swimming in the swollen Yangtze River as the roof of an inundated pavilion is seen above floodwaters in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. Chinese authorities on Friday raised the emergency response for flood control in the Yangtze River and riverside areas to Level II, the second highest in the response system. - AFP

WUHAN, July 10 (Xinhua): Chinese authorities on Friday raised the emergency response for flood control in the Yangtze River and riverside areas to Level II, the second highest in the response system.

The Changjiang Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources announced the decision, saying intense rains have pushed up water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the river.