South China rains kill 15, force 400,000 from homes

Policemen help local people to evacute in Xincheng Township of Dayu County, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 4, 2009. Rainstorms have swept Jiangxi since Tuesday, leaving two people dead, one missing and over 3.9 million others affected. Floods caused by rainstorms since early the week have left four people missing and 11,845 others displaced in Guangxi. The torrential rains have also damaged 12,440 hectares of crops and killed 53,300 heads of cattle.

Local people paddle a boat on a flooded street in Rongshui Yao Autonomous County, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 4, 2009. [Xinhua]

Local people paddle boats on a flooded street in Rongshui Yao Autonomous County, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 4, 2009. [Xinhua]

Photo taken on July 4, 2009 shows a flooded area in Rongshui County, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The traffic in 16 townships of Rongshui County was interrupted due to the floods caused by torrential rains in recent days, which have afflicted 150,000 people. [Xinhua]

A policeman carries an old woman in evacuation in Xincheng Township of Dayu County, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 4, 2009. Rainstorms have swept Jiangxi since Tuesday, leaving two people dead, one missing and over 3.9 million others affected. [Xinhua]

BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Torrential rains and floods in southern China have left at least 15 people dead and five missing.

More than 400,000 people have been relocated as downpours have destroyed houses, inundated crops, cut power, damaged roads and caused rivers to overflow.

In central-southern Hunan Province, eight people died and 140,000 were forced from their homes, according to the provincial flood control office.

In southeastern Fujian Province, five people died and two are missing.

In eastern Jiangxi Province, two people were killed and three others are missing. About 100,000 people had to flee their homes.

In the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, more than 140,000 people were relocated.

In Guangxi's Rongshui county, 62 schools were flooded, and about 300 students were trapped in a boarding school.

An official with the county education bureau, Luo Enwu, told Xinhua on Sunday that local authorities had managed to send drinking water and food to them and restore power supplies.

In Guangxi's Luocheng county, about 7,500 residents living downstream from the Kama reservoir dam had been moved to safety as a 13.5-meter section of a dyke near the dam breached due under the rising water level.

Local residents and troops have been mobilized to widen spillways to reduce water levels in the reservoir.

Strong rain began to subside on Sunday in parts of Guangxi, such as Guilin and Liuzhou cities, but local authorities are warning of possible flooding as river levels remain high.