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China has raised the flood alert level in a river in the east of the country after days of heavy rain.
Authorities moved the alert on the Huai River from Level III to Level II, the second-highest level, amid fear of further torrential downpours.
Heavy rains have hit China for weeks, from the southwest to the east coast.
According to reports, at least 14 people died in the south of the country due to the floods.
Millions have been evacuated and thousands of troops have been deployed across the country to help shore up defenses.
- In pictures: severe floods engulf eastern China
“The floods are occurring at the same time on the Yangtze River, the Huai River and the Tai Lake … The flood prevention situation is very serious,” said the ministry of water resources.
The 1,100 km (683 mi) Huai River flows through Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces and several major cities, including Fuyang, Xinyang, and Huainan.
Authorities said 10 reservoirs in Huai had seen an increase in water levels of up to 6.85m (22ft).
China generally suffers from flooding in the rainy summer months, but there is concern that this year’s rains could disrupt global supplies needed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, including personal protective equipment (PPE).
