China ... Floods evacuate 100,000 people and threaten a world heritage site

Weather of Arabia - The floods sweeping the Yangtze River region have evacuated more than 100,000 residents, threatening a World Heritage site built 1,200 years ago.

China Central Television reported that employees, police and volunteers put sandbags in an attempt to protect the giant Leshan Buddha statue, which reaches a height of 71 meters, while the level of muddy water surging beyond the level of the statue's toes for the first time since 1949 , according to Reuters.

The statue is inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and is located in Sichuan Province, southwestern China.

The Yangtze Water Resources Commission, the government agency overseeing the river, issued a red alert on Tuesday, saying that the water level at some monitoring stations is expected to exceed "safe" flood protection levels by more than 5 meters.

The Water Resources Ministry said the Three Gorges Dam, a huge hydroelectric facility designed to curb floods in the Yangtze River, is expected to see water flow increase to 74,000 cubic meters per second on Wednesday, the highest rate since the dam was built.

Authorities are striving to prove that a series of giant dams and reservoirs built along the source of the Yangtze River are protecting the area from the worst effects of floods this year, but critics say they may make the situation worse.

Source: Reuters