Beijing reflects on emergency management after rain disaster

 BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- A top municipal government official said Friday that a recent rainstorm in Beijing that has resulted in at least 77 deaths has exposed multiple loopholes in urban planning, construction, infrastructure¹ and emergency management.

Guo Jinlong, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Beijing Municipal Committee, mourned those who lost their lives in the disaster during a trip to Fangshan district, which was hit the worst by the rainstorm.

"We must seriously reflect on these lessons and always bear them in mind," Guo said.

Guo, who was elected secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee on July 3, pointed² out that the disaster has taught "profound lessons and exposed many loopholes."

Acting³ Mayor Wang Anshun, who joined other city officials at the mourning ceremony in Fangshan, said he appreciated the public's criticism and suggestions concerning the government's handling of the disaster.

"The municipal government will consider the public's criticisms openly and constantly improve its efforts to prevent such a tragedy from happening again," he said.

A late update regarding the storm's death toll⁴ sparked public criticism. Municipal authorities reported 77 deaths Thursday evening, four days after the first report of 37 deaths.

Friday coincided with the seventh day following the victims' deaths. In Chinese tradition, the seventh day following death is a day to mourn and pray for the deceased.

Guo led city officials in bowing for several minutes on the bank of Juma River, where flooding incurred⁵ heavy casualties and losses of property.

Rescuers have retrieved⁶ 38 bodies in Fangshan, including that of an 8-month-old girl. Most of the victims were drowned.

The downpour on Saturday, reportedly the heaviest rain to hit the city in six decades, unleashed⁷ a city-wide average of 170 mm of precipitation, with Fangshan receiving a record 460 mm of rain.

Qi Hong, head of the district, told municipal officials that conditions in the district remain chaotic⁸. Roads are blocked, supplies of electricity and water have yet to be restored and many people have been left homeless there.

"Our primary job is to ensure that all of the victims are sheltered and have sufficient food supplies," he said.

Guo and other officials dined together with flood refugees and construction workers in a temporary settlement in the village of Baidai at noon.

Builders are constructing 500 movable plank⁹ houses that will last for about three years, giving local residents enough time to rebuild theirs.

Qi said the disaster affected¹⁰ 800,000 people in the district, as well as inflicted¹¹ direct economic losses of 2.26 billion yuan (358 million U.S. dollars).

Wang pledged that the city government will make its best efforts in directing relief work. Relief efforts will include restoring water and power, repairing roads, controlling possible epidemics¹² and preventing floods in the event of another heavy rainfall.

1 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

2 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

5 incurred   

[医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式

参考例句：

• She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。
• We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。

6 retrieved   

v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Yesterday I retrieved the bag I left in the train. 昨天我取回了遗留在火车上的包。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He reached over and retrieved his jacket from the back seat. 他伸手从后座上取回了自己的夹克。 来自辞典例句

7 unleashed   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
• The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

9 plank   

n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目

参考例句：

• The plank was set against the wall.木板靠着墙壁。
• They intend to win the next election on the plank of developing trade.他们想以发展贸易的纲领来赢得下次选举。

10 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

11 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

12 epidemics   

n．流行病

参考例句：

• Reliance upon natural epidemics may be both time-consuming and misleading. 依靠天然的流行既浪费时间，又会引入歧途。
• The antibiotic epidemics usually start stop when the summer rainy season begins. 传染病通常会在夏天的雨季停止传播。