At least 61 people have been killed and 356,000 evacuated from their homes as heavy rain and floods swept through large parts of southern and central China this week, Chinese rescue authorities said.

In a notice published late on Thursday, China's Ministry of Emergency Management said 9,300 homes have collapsed and 3.71 million hectares of farmland damaged during the floods, with direct economic losses now estimated at 13.35 billion yuan ($1.93bn).

It said more than 4,300 people had been rescued from floodwaters, which have affected regions stretching from Guangdong province in the southeast to southwest China's Chongqing on the upper reaches of the Yangtze river.

During the summer, China routinely suffers from droughts in the far north and floods in the south.

The emergency ministry has warned that northern regions face even lower precipitation levels this year, while heavy rains are expected to raise flood risks on the Yellow River's upstream. </s> Floods in southern China have killed at least 15 people over the past few days and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands more, state media said.

In Guangxi region, seven died and three were missing following torrential rains, with more than 23,000 people being evacuated to safer areas, the Xinhua news agency said late on Sunday.

In neighboring Hunan province, more than 300,000 people have been evacuated and eight people have died, the agency said.

More rain is forecast in coming days, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

Floods kill dozens of people every year in China during the summer rainy season. </s> SHANGHAI
• As many as 61 people have been killed and 356,000 evacuated from their homes as heavy rain and floods swept through large parts of southern and central China this week, the country's rescue authorities said.

In a notice published late on Thursday, China's Ministry of Emergency Management said that 9,300 homes have collapsed and 3.71 million ha of farmland were damaged during the floods, which began on June 6.

Direct economic losses due to the floods were estimated at 13.35 billion yuan (S$2.6 billion).

It said more than 4,300 people had been rescued from floodwaters, which have affected regions stretching from Guangdong province in the south-east to south-west China's Chongqing on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

At least 6 million people have been affected since the start of the flooding season, a senior official said on Tuesday.

More than 20 provincial regions were hit by the floods, with the Guangxi region and the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangxi and Fujian suffering heavy losses, said Mr Ye Jianchun, Vice-Minister of Water Resources.
• Number of homes destroyed, according to China's Ministry of Emergency Management. Estimated cost of direct economic losses due to the floods. Number of people affected since the start of the flooding season.

In Guangdong province, at least two vehicles plunged into a river after part of a bridge collapsed in the urban area of Heyuan city early yesterday, according to the local road management authorities.

One person was rescued, but the exact number of casualties remained unknown as the search and rescue work is under way.

Heyuan is among the areas worst-hit by the floods.

A total of 13 people have been killed as a result of the torrential downpours which have destroyed roads and toppled houses. Two people were still missing as of Thursday.

In the Guangxi region, which borders Vietnam, the week-long downpours have triggered floods in six cities, killing at least 12 and affecting more than 570,000 people, Xinhua reported on Wednesday, citing the regional emergency management department.

In the province of Jiangxi, the floods have affected more than 2.8 million people in nine cities and forced the evacuation of about 340,000 people as of Thursday. Local governments there have sent relief materials, including food, water and clothes, to the affected areas.

Mr Ye said the country has also been hit by droughts which have affected more than 4 million people and 640,000ha of crops as of this month.

He said there were great challenges to the flood and drought prevention efforts this year due to the adverse weather conditions.

The country will strengthen prevention and control of floods and droughts by preventing severe meteorological risks and providing emergency rescue and disaster relief, added Mr Ye.

During the summer, China routinely suffers from droughts in the far north and floods in the south.

The Emergency Ministry has warned that northern regions face even lower precipitation levels this year, while heavy rains are expected to raise flood risks on the Yellow River's upstream portion. </s> As many as 61 people have been killed and 356,000 evacuated from their homes as heavy rain and floods swept through large parts of southern and central China this week, Chinese rescue authorities said.

In a notice published late on Thursday, China's Ministry of Emergency Management said 9,300 homes have collapsed and 3.71 million hectares of farmland damaged during the floods, with direct economic losses now estimated at 13.35 billion yuan ($1.93 billion).

It said more than 4,300 people had been rescued from floodwaters, which have affected regions stretching from Guangdong province in the southeast to southwest China's Chongqing on the upper reaches of the Yangtze river.

During the summer, China routinely suffers from droughts in the far north and floods in the south. The emergency ministry has warned that northern regions face even lower precipitation levels this year, while heavy rains are expected to raise flood risks on the Yellow river's upstream. Subscribe to Moneycontrol Pro and gain access to curated markets data, exclusive trading recommendations, independent equity analysis, actionable investment ideas, nuanced takes on macro, corporate and policy actions, practical insights from market gurus and much more. </s> NANNING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Seventeen people died and nine people went missing after heavy downpours hit southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local authorities said Wednesday.

More than 590,000 people have been affected by the week-long downpours, according to the latest update by the regional emergency management department.

A total of 1,747 houses have collapsed and 966 were severely damaged, forcing over 30,000 people to be relocated. Rain-triggered floods also damaged more than 34,600 hectares of crops, according to the department.

The provincial meteorological authorities on Wednesday maintained a yellow alert on heavy rain, predicting storms in cities including Guilin, Nanning and Baise.

Heavy rain starting last week has hit a number of provinces in China's southern region, including Guizhou, Guangdong, Hunan, Fujian and Jiangxi.

In southern China's Guangdong Province, floods and landslides have killed 13 people in the city of Heyuan as of Wednesday morning, while heavy rainstorms are predicted to continue through Friday.

In the eastern province of Jiangxi, rain-triggered floods have forced the evacuation of 212,000 people as of Wednesday evening. The provincial emergency management department said houses of 1,595 families have collapsed or were seriously damaged and 172,000 hectares of crops were destroyed.

The National Meteorological Center on Wednesday continued a yellow alert for rainstorms, saying rainstorms or heavy rains are expected in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Taiwan and Jilin.

Some southern regions will experience torrential rains, with precipitation up to 240 mm in parts of Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi and Fujian. </s> Tens of thousands evacuated and at least 15 dead as China rocked by floods

In Guangxi, seven died and three were missing following torrential rains, with more than 23,000 people being evacuated to safer areas, the Xinhua news agency said late on Sunday.

More rain is forecast in coming days, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

Floods kill dozens of people every year in China during the summer rainy season. </s> GUANGZHOU, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A total of 13 people were killed and two were still missing as of 2:00 p.m. Thursday as torrential downpours destroyed roads and toppled houses in southern China's Guangdong Province.

The city of Heyuan is among the worst-hit regions in the latest round of rainstorms that have persisted for over a week. More than 280,000 people were affected and over 4,000 houses collapsed, according to the local publicity department.

Local authorities have sent 7100 quilts, 450 tents, 400 folding beds and other disaster relief supplies to Heyuan. Guangdong Power Grid Corporation said they had dispatched personnel and vehicles to restore electricity disrupted by the rain in Heyuan.

So far, power and water supplies and communication network have returned to most part of Heyuan.

The provincial meteorological authorities on Thursday predicted the rainfall would weaken starting Friday.

Heavy rain starting last week has hit a number of provinces in China's southern region, including Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Fujian and Jiangxi.

In the eastern province of Jiangxi, rain-triggered floods have affected more than 2.8 million people in nine cities and forced the evacuation of about 340,000 people as of 11:30 a.m. Thursday. The provincial emergency management department said houses of 1,065 families collapsed and 199,600 hectares of crops were damaged.

The rain in Jiangxi has subsided since Thursday morning, and sunny weather is predicted on Friday and Saturday.

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Thursday saw the end of week-long heavy downpours, which left 17 people dead and nine people missing as of Wednesday.

The National Meteorological Center Thursday issued a blue alert for heavy rain in Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Guangxi and Taiwan from Thursday to Friday.

Some areas in Guangdong will be hit by up to 160 mm of rainfall within 24 hours. </s> A landslide has hit the Fujian province in China. Up to 61 people have been killed following days of heavy rain and flooding in central and southern parts of the country. Thousands of people have been rescued and hundreds of thousands have been evacuated from their homes.

This video has been optimised for mobile viewing on the BBC News app. The BBC News app is available from the Apple App Store for iPhone and Google Play Store for Android. </s> Days of torrential rain have led to massive floods in southern and eastern China. At least 56 people have been killed and another 22 reported missing after swollen rivers broke their banks and inundated towns. The floodwaters reached up to the roofs of houses in some areas.

Over the past five days, as much as 48.6 centimetres (19 inches) of rain has been dumped on towns across a vast region of the country. The volume of rain has pushed water levels in more than 60 rivers in southern China above warning levels. The level of the Xiangjiang river, a tributary of the Yangtze River that flows through Changsha, capital of Hunan province, exceeded the previous records set in a massive flood in 1998.

The water levels in Changsha rose so quickly that police were forced to use a most unlikely rescue vessel: a bright green inflatable turtle. "There weren't any boats available, so we had to improvise," the police said in a statement on their Weibo page. The South China Morning Post reported that 13 people were transferred to safety on the turtle's back over two hours.

More than 11 million people in 11 southern provinces have been affected by floods, landslides and hailstorms, said China's Ministry of Civil Affairs. Collapsed levees in Hunan forced large-scale evacuations.

The Chinese government has disbursed 700 million yuan (£79m) in emergency aid to Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan and Guizhou provinces to help those who have lost their homes or family members in the floods. The government has already sent 3,300 tents, 30,000 quilts and 24,000 camp beds to help displaced people in the four provinces, the Ministry of Civil Affairs added.

Dozens of flights at several airports serving major cities in the region including Chengdu, Changsha, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen were cancelled or delayed, stranding thousands of travellers. Trains also were halted, and roads were cut off to many towns and villages in the region. More rain is for the rest of this week in many of the areas that have already been badly hit.
At least 61 people have been killed and 356,000 evacuated from their homes as heavy rain and floods swept through large parts of southern and central China this week.