Death toll from flooding in NW China' s Shaanxi rises to 46, 121 still missing

Floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains in southern parts of northwest China's Shaanxi Province have left at least 46 people dead and 121 others missing as of Wednesday afternoon, said a spokesperson with the provincial government.

Heavy rain ravaged 22 counties in three cities including Ankang, Shangluo and Hanzhong from July 14 to July 19, with precipitation of 330 mm in the worst-hit area, which tops a former record set in 1953.

Around 1.66 million people in the three cities were affected, 27,160 houses were destroyed, and 101,000 hectares of farmland were affected. Direct economic losses were estimated at 2.49 billion yuan (366 million U.S. dollars).

In Ankang alone, two major landslides occurred Sunday night, leaving 25 dead and 24 others missing.

One of the landslides hit Qiyan village in Hanbin District and the other struck Muzhu village in Langao County.

Since July, rain-triggered floods have left 273 people dead and 218 missing in China, as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Source:Xinhua