The death toll from severe rainstorms and flooding across China in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Bilis has risen to 115, state media said on Sunday.
Torrential rain hit provinces including Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, forcing millions of residents to be evacuated, Xinhua news agency reported.
Torrential downpours in southern Fujian triggered flash flooding and landslides that left 43 people dead and four injured, Xinhua said. Another 24 people were missing including 10 buried in a landslide in Zhangzhou city.
Rescuers were working frantically to dig them out, but officials said hopes of finding them alive were slim, the news agency said.
In the central province of Hunan, 39 people were confirmed dead where rescuers have evacuated 262,000 residents with another 112,00 cutoff by rising floodwaters, Xinhua said, citing official figures.
At least 4.3 million people across that province have been affected by the rainstorms and floods, Xinhua said, with some 34,000 houses toppled and 156,000 hectares (390,000 acres) of farmland damaged.
The local government allocated nine million yuan (1.13 million dollars) to provide food and shelter to those evacuated.
In neighbouring Guangdong province, 33 people were killed and 1.32 million people hit by the rainstorms, Xinhua said.
Some 47,000 people had to be evacuated in the southern province where another 4,744 homes were also destroyed, it said.
Television news footage showed muddy floodwater gushing down the streets in various regions while many trapped residents awaited rescue.
Local meteorological authorities in Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces forecast more storms in their regions in the coming days.
Bilis wreaked havoc in the Philippines and Taiwan before veering towards China. It weakened after hitting the mainland last Friday.
Source: Agence France-Presse
