Floods in China this year have left 742 people dead and 367 missing as of 9:00 AM Friday, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said.

Floods have hit 28 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, affecting 120 million people and 7.60 million hectares of crops, a statement on the headquarter's website said.

The floods have caused the collapse of 670,000 homes and resulted in direct economic losses of 152.4 billion yuan (US$22.51 billion).

The headquarters has dispatched work teams to Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces to coordinate flood-fighting efforts.

Typhoons are exacerbating the floods.

Typhoon Chanthu, the third of the summer, was downgraded to a tropical storm at 2 a.m. Friday.

Chanthu affected about 1.36 million residents, killing two and toppling 2,915 houses. It also caused direct economic losses of 2.4 billion yuan (US$354.51 million).

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2010)