Beijing, July 8 (IANS) Natural disasters in 2010 have left 3,514 people dead and 486 missing in China, and caused economic losses worth 211.39 billion yuan ($31.19 billion), the ministry of civil affairs said Thursday.
Disasters, including earthquakes, floods, droughts, freezing temperature, snowstorms, strong winds, hail and landslides, forced the evacuation of over 6.44 million people, Xinhua reported citing a ministry statement.
Natural disasters affected 20.29 million hectares of farmland and destroyed about three million hectares of crops, it said.
The damage caused by natural disasters during the period was more severe than in the previous years, the report said.
The major damage was caused by a 7.1-magnitude quake that struck Yushu in Qinghai province April 14, killing over 2,200 people.
