14 dead in China rains

At least 14 people were killed after torrential downpour caused the collapse of houses and unleashed floods in northwest China's Shaanxi province, officials said.

More than 761,000 people have been affected by the rain that began last week, Xinhua reported.

The civil affairs department said the downpour has damaged 34,000 hectares of farmland, inflicting losses of nearly 1.8 billion yuan (around $300 million).

In hardest-hit Yan'an city, four people were buried after their cave dwelling collapsed amid heavy rain Wednesday night. One person was pulled out alive Thursday.

Rainstorms have also cut off roads and caused floods in several rivers in the city, with the water level in one reservoir monitored at 4.76 meters above the danger line.