34 killed in China floods, 93 missing in landslide

Beijing: At least 34 people have been killed in floods triggered by incessant rains while another 93 remained missing following a massive landslide in southwest China that have forced authorities to relocate over 4.50 lakh people.

More than 3,000 rescuers were searching for the 93 people still buried under rocks and mud brought by the landslide in Sichuan Province, authorities said.

The landslide engulfed at least 62 homes in Xinmo village in Maoxian County in the Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Aba on Saturday, blocking a two kilometre section of river and burying 1,600 metres of road.

Ten people have been confirmed dead and 15 people had been taken off the list of missing as they were not in Xinmo village when the disaster struck, said Xu Zhiwen, deputy chief of Aba prefecture. Only three people from a family were rescued hours after the landslide.

The chance of survival for the missing ones is low, rescuers said. Rain-triggered disasters have left at least 22 people dead and six missing in provinces of Jiangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan and Anhui.

Meanwhile in Jianxi, heavy rainfall since Thursday has affected 1.8 million people and forced authorities to relocate 2.70 lakh people to safer places in 47 counties and districts, the provincial flood control authorities said.

Flash floods and landslides have left six people dead and three missing in Jiangxi. The forecast says rainfall is set to weaken today onwards but it may get heavier again later this week.

In Guizhou, nine people were killed and two remained missing after torrential rains pounded the region over the past few days.

Heavy rains also damaged 35,418 hectares of crops and inflicted a direct economic loss of 610 million yuan ($89 million).

In Hunan, 1.51 lakh people were evacuated and 642 small and medium-sized reservoirs overflowed in wake of the largest rainfall this year. Three people of a family in Luxi County of Hunan were found dead in a landslide that occurred on Saturday.

The water in 14 rivers along the Yangtze River valley has risen above warning levels and more rainfall in the next few days could further raise the level in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Changjiang Water Resources Commission said on Sunday. (PTI)