China: 204 people are killed in floods

At least 204 people have been killed in floods that have swept through parts of China during this year's &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2002/05/15/28793.html ' target=_blank>rainy season, leaving another 79 missing and devastating villages and crops, the government said Sunday.

The worst hit region was the southern province of Hunan, where the death toll rose to 75 people on Sunday, with 46 missing, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Three days of torrential rains last week washed away mountain villages in &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/culture/2001/10/14/18005.html ' target=_blank>Hunan and damaged tens of thousands of homes, schools and other facilities in cities, Xinhua said. Inundated roads and highways hampered rescue and evacuation efforts, it said.

More than 200,000 people have been evacuated, Xinhua said.