E China province upgrades emergency response as floods affect nearly 400,000

East China's Jiangxi Province on Wednesday upgraded its emergency response for flood control from level IV to level III, as heavy rainfalls swelled rivers and lakes, and are forecast to continue.

As of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, the floods starting from Monday had affected nearly 399,000 residents in Jiangxi, with 39,000 people relocated, according to the provincial emergency management department.

A total of 21 houses collapsed in the floods, and 25,800 hectares of crops were damaged. The direct economic loss was 260 million yuan (about 37 million U.S. dollars).

The water level at the Xingzi hydrological station of the province's Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, recorded 20.54 meters at 10 a.m. Wednesday, measuring 1.54 meters above the warning level.

Two firefighters on a rescue mission went missing after a rain-triggered flash flood hit the Meiling national scenic area in Nanchang, the provincial capital, at around 10:50 p.m. Tuesday. Search and rescue efforts are underway.

The provincial observatory on Wednesday renewed its orange alert for rainstorms, as incessant downpours continue to wreak havoc across vast stretches of the province.