Heavy rainstorms and hailstones struck the northern part of Xinjiang in northwest China this week, causing direct economic losses valued at 200 million yuan (about US$24 million), the regional government said Thursday.

From Sunday to Wednesday, continuous heavy rainstorms accompanied with hailstones ravaged the prefectures of Ili, Tacheng and Altay in the northern part of Xinjiang, damaging 26,700 hectares of farmland, and 18,774 people are affected by the ensuing flood.

The local authorities have organized immediate relief work and tried hard to help the disaster-afflicted farmers restore normal production and life.

(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2005)