38 dead, 2 missing after heavy rains in China county

BEIJING: Rainfall-triggered disasters have left 38 people dead and two others missing in Pingyuan County in south China's Guangdong province as of 3 p.m. Friday, local authorities said.

Heavy rains battered the county from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 16, triggering landslides, flooding and mudflows, Xinhua news agency reported.

Since entering its flood season on April 4, Pingyuan's cumulative precipitation has reached 1,221.6 mm, almost double the normal level for the period in past years.

"This is the worst flooding the village has ever seen," said Qiu Zhimiao, 42, from Daxin village in Pingyuan.

Preliminary statistics show that nearly 55,388 people in the county have been affected and 2,247 houses have collapsed. Direct economic losses are estimated at almost 5.85 billion yuan (about $822 million).

Rescue, disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction efforts are underway.