President Xi Jinping has urged all-out efforts to carry out flood prevention and rescue operations in order to protect people's lives and property, after continuous heavy rainfall hit regions including Central China's Henan province, causing heavy casualties and property losses.

In an instruction released on Wednesday about flood prevention and rescue work, Xi required governments at various levels to take concrete measures to ensure people's lives and property are safe amid the grave situation.

Xi mentioned the heavy rains that hit some regions including Henan province in the past few days, which has caused Zhengzhou, the provincial capital and other cities, to flood, water levels of some rivers to have risen above the alert level, some reservoirs to be at risk of collapse, rail transport suspended and flights canceled.

He stressed flood prevention is at a critical moment, urging officials at various levels to work at the forefront to speedily mobilize all available resources.

Disaster-stricken people should be resettled in a proper way and every effort should be made to reduce deaths and injuries of people as well as property losses to the greatest possible extent, Xi said.

While asking the People's Liberation Army and armed forces to help local governments in the rescue operation, Xi also urged relevant ministries under the State Council to strengthen coordination, intensify efforts in risk identification, reinforce security of key infrastructure facilities and improve pre-warning and prediction of heavy rains, typhoon floods and mudslides.

He also called for resuming normal order of production and life as soon as possible while organizing flood prevention and rescue work.

Substantial measures must be taken to help disaster-hit people who are in need, organize disease-prevention work in order to prevent people from becoming poor due to the disaster and avoid risk of epidemic in the wake of the disaster, Xi said.