Vast swath of northeastern China threatened by flooding as rivers rise above warning levels

BEIJING (AP) — A vast swath of northeastern China is threatened by flooding as at least 90 rivers have risen above warning levels and 24 have already overflowed their banks. State media say crews are standing by to defend homes and farmland across the Songliao Basin north of Beijing which includes parts of four provinces and several major cities with a total population of almost 100 million. Tens of thousands of people have already been moved to safety. Much of China is having a particularly damp summer, with 142 people killed by flooding in July and dozens more this month.