Heavy rain in Southern China causes floods, killing 56
BEIJING — At least 56 people have been killed and another 22 reported missing as heavy rains continue to pummel southern China, flooding towns, cutting off power and halting traffic, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs said Tuesday.
As much as 48.6 centimetres (19 inches) of rain has been dumped on several cities since Thursday, including the scenic resort city of Guilin in the Guangxi region, the ministry said.
More than 11 million people in 11 southern provinces were affected by floods, landslides and hailstorms, the ministry said. Rivers have broken their banks, inundating surrounding communities.
The ministry said water levels in major rivers and lakes in the southern province of Hunan have surged to alarming levels, and that the collapse of levees forced large-scale evacuations.