Twelve Dead, Tens of Thousands Evacuated as Floods, Landslides Hit Central, Southern China

Beijing: Heavy rains and floods sweeping through several regions of China have left at least 12 people dead and forced tens of thousands to evacuate, Chinese state media reported. According to Oman News Agency, five people died and 11 others were missing in Shimen County, Hunan Province in central China, following torrential rains, Chinese media said today. Rescue operations and searches for the missing are ongoing. Xinhua News Agency reported that more than 19,000 people had been evacuated as of Tuesday evening. The county recorded 339 millimetres of rainfall in 24 hours until 7 a.m. Monday, with one township recording 240 millimetres in just a few hours, reaching historic record levels. In neighbouring Hubei Province, floodwaters submerged streets, turning them into rivers, and rescue teams used rubber boats to evacuate stranded residents. Some homes were flooded while others collapsed, Xinhua said. Three people died and four were missing in the province as of Tuesday morning. In Guizhou Province in sou thwestern China, heavy rains and floods left four dead and five missing, with homes submerged, roads damaged and communications cut in some areas. More than 3,700 people were evacuated from one affected area, Xinhua added.