Flash floods, mudslides kill 16 in China

New Delhi: Heavy rain triggered flash floods and mudslides in parts of China leaving 16 people dead and 8 million affected. Water levels in major rivers and reservoirs have surpassed the danger levels. Relief operations are underway. 26,000 people have been evacuated. The Local Met department has forecast more rainfall on Tuesday.

Rains have destroyed some 1,000 houses and inundated almost 17,000 hectares of cropland in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous regions, a government spokesman said on Monday. Direct economic losses were estimated at 128 million yuan ($20.3 million) the spokesman said, adding local authorities have launched relief operations.

Local meteorological authorities forecast that more heavy rainfalls will hit parts of Guangxi on Monday.

Rains have destroyed some 1,000 houses and inundated almost 17,000 hectares of cropland.

Since Saturday rainstorm-triggered floods also affected three counties in the Ulanqab city in Inner Mongolia, authorities with the city government of Ulanqab said.

So far eight were killed in the floods, which have also cut the road communication and power supply in some regions, authorities said.

Strong downpours also battered east China's Jiangxi province from Friday, leaving over 734,000 people affected by the natural disaster, the provincial flood prevention and control headquarters said.

Local governments have relocated about 26,890 people to avoid flood risks.

Ten major reservoirs in Jiangxi have seen their water level rising above the warning levels, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

In south China's Guangdong province, two were killed and another three were still missing due to a round of rainstorms, which continuously battered Guangdong from Thursday to Monday, said the provincial flood prevention and control headquarters.

The rainstorms have affected the life of about 3.12 lakh people in Guangdong.

The water levels in several major rivers in Guangdong have surpassed the warning levels.

With additional information from PTI

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