WUHAN, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Construction has begun to repair a dike that breached Sunday in central China's Hubei Province and will be completed in five days, rescuers said.

The breach occurred at around 3 a.m. on Sunday in Huangmei County and soon widened to 80 meters, forcing nearly 6,000 residents to evacuate overnight.

The subsequent flooding destroyed 15,000 mu (1,000 hectares) of crops and fish ponds, causing direct economic losses of about 100 million yuan (15 million U.S. dollars).

The hydropower engineering troop of the Chinese Armed Police dispatched 678 soldiers to close the breach. As of 6 p.m., a 10-meter gap near the breach was closed.

Another 21,000 people were organized to repair the lower flood control dam to ensure the safety of highways and railways.