33 killed, 14 missing as heavy rains hit China

At least 33 people were killed and 14 others missing in the rainstorm-triggered natural disasters in 21 provincial-level regions in China, authorities here said today.

The National Commission for Disaster Reduction said the cases of deaths were reported from Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei and Anhui Hebei, Heilongjiang, Shandong, Gansu and Helongjiang Provinces besides Beijing, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Tibet Autonomous Region.

Since July 3, natural disasters caused by downpours have affected about 6.75 million people in 284 counties, districts or prefecture-level cities across the country, official Xinhua news agency reported, quoting the commission.