50 dead, 42 missing in China floods

Beijing, June 30 (IANS) At least 50 people have died and 42 others are missing following floods triggered by strong rainfall which has been battering many parts of China for 10 days, according to the ministry of civil affairs.

Over 10 million people were affected till Friday morning by downpours in 399 counties in Inner Mongolia, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan and Guizhou, with about 1.25 million in urgent need of aid, reported China Daily citing the ministry.

Torrential rain also toppled 34,000 houses, damaged another 89,000 houses and rendered 738,000 hectares of crops unharvestable in these regions, resulting in direct economic losses worth over 10 billion yuan (about $1.6 billion).

According to the ministry, some of the affected provinces have been battered by numerous rounds of heavy rain since April.

While other usually water-starved regions, including Inner Mongolia region, have witnessed record level of rains that have ruined many of their crops, it added.

Meanwhile, storms were expected to arrive in Guangxi between June 30 and July 1 following the upcoming tropical depression Duksuri, according to a local observatory forecast.