10 dead, 27 missing as rain batters southwest China

Ten persons were killed and 27 others missing as torrential rains battered southwest China, local authorities said Thursday.

One person was confirmed dead on Thursday in Wenchuan County of the Sichuan province's mountaneous Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, the emergency management bureau of Aba said.

Earlier on Tuesday, nine persons died after multiple mudslides struck the autonomous prefecture, the China Daily reported.

As of Thursday, 27 people remained missing after seven were found earlier in the day, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Regions in Wenchuan received precipitation of up to 65 mm on Tuesday, with eight towns being ravaged by flooding and mudslides.

The prefecture has sent 1,630 rescue workers to search for the missing and trapped people after the rain-triggered disasters.

Over 90 per cent of residents in Wenchuan were affected. More than 100,000 people require emergency evacuation and emergency life assistance.

Flooding and mudslides have damaged some roads and bridges, and destroyed and inundated over 2,200 houses. They also destroyed drinking water pipelines running more than 115 km, with more than 58,000 people's drinking water service disrupted.