BEIJING -- China's disaster relief authorities launched a level III emergency response plan Saturday to help flood victims.

The Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has dispatched eight work teams to South China's flood stricken areas to guide relief work, the office said in a statement.

Severe floods hit the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River in recent days, as well as some nearby rivers and lakes.

More than 260,000 people have been displaced after heavy rain in Central China's Hunan province since June 22, said the provincial flood control office late Friday.

Under a level III emergency response plan, the office must report to the State Council within two hours and dispatch a work team to the disaster zone within 24 hours.