A State Council work group headed by Vice-Minister of Civil affairs Dou Yupei on June 23 rushed to the disaster area in Yancheng city of east China’s Jiangsu province to monitor the rescue and relief work.

Extreme weather conditions, including a tornado, have left 98 dead and 800 injured in several townships in Funing and Sheyang counties in the suburbs of Yancheng by 11 pm on June 23.

The ministry has dispatched relief materials, including more than 1,000 tents, 2,000 folding beds and 10 sets of site lighting to the affected areas.

The National Commission for Disaster Reduction and Ministry of Civil Affairs has initiated a Level-III emergency response for disaster relief.

Under a level III response, the second-lowest of the four response levels, disaster relief authorities should send a work team to the disaster zone within 24 hours and allocate relief materials within 48 hours if losses are considered relatively extensive.