Large swathes of China are experiencing drought, triggered by worst heatwave on record. The southern part of the country has recorded its longest continuous period of high temperatures since records began more than 60 years ago, according to agriculture ministry. The drought has also caused some rivers, including parts of the mighty Yangtze, to dry up. The dire situation has not only halted shipping and forced major companies to suspend operations, but also revealed a submerged island and three Buddhist statues on it, according to a report in The Guardian.
The statues were found in Chongqing and are thought to be 600 years old, the outlet further said. News agency Reuters said these statues were found on the highest part of the island reef called Foyeliang, initially identified as built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. One of the statues depicts a monk sitting on a lotus pedestal.
The Yangtze is the world's third largest river, providing drinking water to nearly 400 million people in China. Its basin stretches from coastal Shanghai to Sichuan province in China's southwest and is home to several manufacturing hubs.
According to the latest number from China's Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), 2.2 million hectares of arable land has been affected by the drought.
The China Meteorological Administration has predicted continued high temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Chongqing and the provinces of Sichuan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang for Thursday.
China's State Council on Wednesday announced a 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) subsidy to support rice farmers experiencing drought conditions which authorities have warned pose a "severe threat" to this year's autumn harvest.
