Rainstorms, floods kill 14 in China; over 3 million hit

Beijing: At least 14 people have been killed and more than three million badly affected due to rainstorms and floods in east and south China regions in the past one week, officials said today. Incessant rains have battered China`s east and south regions since mid-June, causing huge economic losses and affecting normal life. Seven people were killed in central China`s Hunan Province, five in the eastern Jiangxi and two in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Hunan provincial civil affairs bureau said that another four people are missing. Ten cities and 47 counties in the province have been hit by the torrential rainstorms.

About 2.08 million people have been affected while 1.71 lakh people have been relocated. The rainstorms have severely damaged nearly 9,700 houses and 122,700 hectares of crops. So far direct economic losses have amounted to USD 251.2 million in the province. Authorities were forced to shut down highways and railways because of landslides triggered by the rains yesterday. In Jiangxi, four of the five deaths happened when a school building collapsed after a landslide. Jiangxi`s local bureau of civil affairs reported that about 7.89 lakh people were affected and 1.23 lakh have been relocated so far. Downpours have swept Jiangxi since Wednesday damaging 4,000 houses and destroying 63,100 hectares of crops. The economic loss to the province has been estimated to be around USD 84.85 million. Water level in rivers and reservoirs are above danger mark in Jiangxi and local authorities have been asked to remain prepared for flood. Two people died in Guangxi while more than 1.18 lakh people have been affected. Authorities have relocated over 2,341 by evening today, according to the regional civil affairs department. The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the China National Commission for Disaster Reduction have scrambled emergency response teams to the regions, the Xinhua report said. Relief materials, including tents and cotton blankets, have been sent to disaster-hit regions.