Natural disasters affect more than 110,000 in SW China

KUNMING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and more than 110,000 affected by natural disasters in southwest China's Yunnan Province in the first quarter this year, local authorities said Monday.

Since January, the province has been mainly hit by earthquakes, hailstorms, floods, forest fires and landslides, which have forced 113 people to relocate, said the provincial emergency management department.

Destroying houses and damaging crops, natural disasters have caused direct economic losses of 133 million yuan (19.8 million U.S. dollars).

Local government has allocated more than 340 million yuan to ensure the basic livelihoods of those affected.