BEIJING, September 15 (HS/RIA Novosti) - Authorities in China's island province of Hainan have evacuated more than 55,000 people from areas affected by prolonged heavy rains and flooding, the provincial emergency management bureau reported on Tuesday.

As of 6:00 p.m. [10:00 GMT] on September 14, more than 55,000 people had been evacuated from danger zones across the province, the bureau said in a statement.

It was noted that the heavy rains sweeping across the province were characterized by their long duration and high intensity, affecting a vast area.

According to statistics from the provincial meteorological bureau, between 8:00 a.m. on September 11 and 2:00 p.m. on September 14, more than 700 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in six locations across Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County, Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County, and Wuzhishan County; the highest rainfall of 912.9 millimeters was recorded in Xiangshui Township, Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County.

Fire and rescue services have deployed approximately 60 vehicles and over 400 personnel to the affected counties to participate in rescue operations and disaster relief efforts.

Earlier, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said that the rains in Hainan, China, had not currently affected the vacation plans of Russian tourists visiting the island.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar