22 dead, seven missing in China rainstorms

At least 22 people have died while seven still missing after downpours hit provinces in south China, authorities said Sunday.

The rainstorms, the type that occur once every 100 years due to their ferocity, lashed Guangzhou, Zhaoqing and Qingyuan cities in Guangdong and causing floods, Xinhua quoted the provincial flood control and civil affairs authorities as saying.

Since Wednesday, rainstorms in Guangdong have left 15 dead and five missing while affecting 800,000 people. Sixteen national or provincial highways were closed because of the downpours.

Downpours also swept Guizhou province, as well as Hunan and Jiangxi provinces.

Three people died in Guizhou due to a rainstorm Saturday night and early Sunday.

Three people in Shaodong county died in the rainstorm Sunday, including a mother and daughter who wanted to save wood from the flood. Some 320,000 people were affected by the floods and 24,000 were evacuated in the county. One person was washed away by floodwater in Wenjia City.

Rescuers were evacuating trapped residents.

On Saturday, over 140,000 people were affected, 21,000 were evacuated and 1,143 houses collapsed, said the provincial civil affairs department.