Work team sent to direct rescue after flood kills 8 in C China province

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A work team has been sent to a flood-stricken area in central China's Hubei Province to guide the rescue work, according to a statement of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM).

At around 4 a.m. Tuesday, a flash flood triggered by heavy rain hit Qinglong Mountain located in Shiyan City of Hubei Province, damaging 19 buildings.

As of 11 a.m., eight people had been killed and the number of missing people is unknown, said the MEM.

MEM's Vice Minister Huang Ming required all-out efforts to search for and rescue the missing people.

He also emphasized the prevention of secondary disasters, ensuring the safety of rescue teams and strengthening local alerts for disasters.