12 killed in rainstorm-hit SW China

The death toll from continuous rains in Southwest China's Guizhou province has increased to 12, with 12 still missing, local authorities said Tuesday.

From 8 pm Sunday to 8 am Tuesday, downpours battered most cities and counties in Guizhou with regional torrential rainstorms leading to surging river waters and blocked traffic, the Civil Affairs Department of Guizhou said.

Heavy rainfalls have caused minor flooding in some cities, with some experiencing power outages and communication cutoffs.

So far, the storms have collapsed more than 400 rooms and affected around 10,000 hectares of farmland. The direct economic loss in Guizhou was estimated at 640 million yuan (about $104 million ).

Local governments have appointed more than 35,000 people to damage control.

Civil affairs authorities have distributed bailout funds and sent people affected by the rainstorm clothes, quilts and other disaster-relief goods.

Rain is expected to continuously hit the eastern and northern regions of central Guizhou from Tuesday to Wednesday, said the provincial geological station.