Floods leave at least 22 dead in southern China

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Torrential rain has battered several Chinese provinces, leaving at least 22 people dead and six missing in the provinces of Jiangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan and Anhui, and causing heavy economic losses.

In Guizhou, southwest China, nine people were killed and two remained missing after torrential rain pounded the region over the past few days. Heavy rain also damaged 35,418 hectares of crops and inflicted a direct economic loss of 610 million yuan (89 million US dollars).

In eastern Jiangxi Province, six people have been confirmed dead and three others were unaccounted for following flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain pouring down on the region since Wednesday.

In Hunan, central China, 151,900 people were evacuated and 642 small and medium-sized reservoirs overflowed in the wake of the largest rainfall this year. Three people in Luxi County were also found dead in a landslide on Saturday.

Volunteers gathered and offered relief goods for the trapped people in Fengxin County, northwest of Jiangxi Province after heavy rain on June 24, 2017. /VCG Photo

The Jiangxi Provincial Meteorological Center has issued a red alert for rainstorms, the highest in a four-tier weather warning system.

The rain has also destroyed 600 houses, according to a report by the Department of Civil Affairs of Jiangxi Province and some 270,000 people have had to be relocated.

Authorities have warned that heavy rains would resume on Wednesday and Thursday, after a brief let-up. The water level in rivers along the Yangtze River valley has already risen above warning levels, and could rise further, they also said.

The county seat of Wuyuan is surrounded by swelling Xinjiang River in east China's Jiangxi Province.. /Xinhua Photo

Over 350 people were trapped at a scenic spot in Fengxin County, northwest of Jiangxi Province, after rainfall lashed the region on Saturday morning, according to media reports.

The heavy rainstorm disrupted traffic, caused landslides and brought life in certain areas to a standstill.

Local departments advised tourists via text messages and social media to keep away from certain areas out of safety concerns.

The Department of Transportation of Jiangxi Province has also activated level-three emergency response measures following the rainstorms.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

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Three people of a family in Luxi County of Hunan were found dead in a landslide that occurred on Saturday.