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Heavy rain in south China kills 19
May 13, 2013, 9:57 am

[Xinhua]

Locals clear the debris at flood-affected Juntian Village in Shuangfeng Town of Bobai County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region [Xinhua]

A spate of heavy rains in south China has resulted in 19 deaths and left one person missing, according to an initial tally from local authorities.

Continuous rain and consequent floods have affected more than 3.47 million people in 204 Chinese cities.

The Chinese Civil affairs department said 187,000 people are in urgent need of resettlement and living aid.

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the provinces of Hunan and Guizhou are the hardest-hit regions.

The rain has also destroyed some 5,000 houses, damaged another 46,000 and destroyed 26,900 hectares of crops.

Direct economic losses are estimated at 1.8 billion yuan ($290 million).

Relief and disaster management officials have been dispatched to the affected regions.

With inputs from Xinhua