16 killed due to heavy rains in China

Floods triggered by torrential rains have wreaked havoc in southern China, killing at least 16 people and affecting the lives of 3.60 lakh people, authorities said Tuesday.

The floods have toppled or damaged more than 1,300 houses and caused nearly 17,000 residents to evacuate.

In Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, week-long downpours triggered floods in six cities and 32 counties in which nine persons were killed and disrupted the lived over 3.60 lakh people, according to the regional emergency management department, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The regional meteorological bureau issued a yellow alert on Tuesday, forecasting heavy rain to persist for the following 24 hours.

China has a four-tier colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe weather, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

In the neighbouring, Guangdong Province, seven persons were killed and one is still missing so far as heavy rain destroyed roads and toppled houses.

Three counties in Heyuan city are among the worst-hit areas in the latest round of rainstorms that have persisted over a week. More than 110,000 people were affected and 956 houses were damaged.