15 killed, 19 missing in heavy China floods

At least 15 people have been killed and 19 others are still missing after heavy <g data-gr-id="35">rains-triggered</g> floods and landslides swept through four provinces of central China.

Five people have died in landslides in Shangcheng County, Henan Province, where heavy rains since Friday has forced the evacuation of nearly 800 people, the collapse of 100 dwellings and damage to over 200 buildings, according to the county’s information department. Over 6,700 hectares of crops have been damaged and power and communications have also been affected.

It is estimated that the weather has caused direct economic losses of 305 million yuan (about $49.9 million).

In Shaanxi Province, floods have killed four people and left nine others missing in Foping County, where economic losses are estimated at about 170 million yuan. In Sichuan Province, two people were killed by landslides in Nanjiang County, which reported its worst floods since 1949. The disaster forced the relocation of 2,63,000 people across 48 townships. Another woman was killed by a landslide in Sichuan’s Pengxi County.

Two people also died yesterday while five were reported missing in Jinzhai County, Anhui <g data-gr-id="20">Province,</g> after heavy rains caused floods and landslides.