Heavy floods kill several in China's Hunan province

Heavy rains have caused flooding and landslides in central China's Hunan province, the worst natural disaster to hit the area in 60 years, killing several people and causing damage to property, officials said today.

At least 44 people have been killed or are reported missing in Ningxiang County since June 22.

About 8.15 lakh people, or 56 per cent of the county's population, suffered property losses in the floods, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted local officials as saying.

In Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region, to the south, flood has left 20 people dead and 14 missing.

Around 20,000 houses have collapsed or were damaged, it said.