China evacuates 100,000 as floods threaten heritage site

Sandbags were used to try to protect the 71-metre Leshan Giant Buddha, a Unesco World Heritage site in Sichuan. - Reuters

SHANGHAI (Reuters): Floods on the upper reaches of China's Yangtze river forced authorities to evacuate more than 100,000 people on Tuesday (Aug 18) and threatened a 1,200-year-old world heritage site.

Staff, police and volunteers used sandbags to try to protect the 71-metre Leshan Giant Buddha, a Unesco World Heritage site in southwestern Sichuan province, as muddy flood water rose over its toes for the first time since 1949, state broadcaster CCTV reported.