Natural disasters left 13 people dead, and affected more than 461,000 people across China in February

Natural disasters left 13 people dead, and affected more than 461,000 people across China in February, according to official figures.

The most notable events included frost and snow, with cases of earthquakes, droughts, floods and forest fires, among others, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Friday in a statement.

Natural disasters caused about 300 million yuan (about 46.2 million U.S. dollars) in direct economic losses.

More than 500 residents were relocated and some 1,000 needed emergency assistance.

About 8,000 houses were damaged and more than 100 collapsed, with 1,600 hectares of crops destroyed, it said.

The overall damage from natural disasters in February was generally lighter than the most periods since 2009 but slightly heavier than last year.

Some regions witnessed sharp temperature decreases of 8 to 16 degrees, with snow and frost affecting 396,000 people and causing direct economic losses worth 210 million yuan.
 [Xinhua -china.org.cn]
12/3/16