China: 26 killed in flooding

Floods swept through Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces on Wednesday and Thursday as torrential rain poured onto the region, with worst-hit Sichuan receiving as much as 18 centimeters of rain, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Photo: China: 26 killed in flooding

China: 26 killed in flooding

In Sichuan, 12 people died and two were missing in the floods, while landslides triggered by the downpour wrecked 1,400 houses, the report said. Nearly 3,000 people were evacuated, Xinhua said.

The local government of Guizhou evacuated more than 2,400 people from Jiebi prefecture and Zunyi county, where some 10-15 centimeters (4-6 inches) of rain fell, the report said, citing the Provincial Headquarters for Flood Control and Drought Relief. The disaster disrupted traffic, damaged bridges and flattened homes in Guizhou, Xinhua said.

Meanwhile in nearby Hunan province, the death toll in flash floods last weekend has risen to 21, with another six people missing, Xinhua reported.

The floods swept through Lonhui county in Hunan province on Sunday after some 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain fell and mudslides toppled at least 15 houses, the AP reports.