Floods have left 43 people dead and 12 missing with millions affected in southwest China's Guizhou Province since the rainy season began in May, said provincial flood control authorities.

From May 1 till Thursday, heavy rains had swept the province six times, affecting 2.7 million people in 52 counties in Guizhou and destroying more than 8,000 residential buildings, according to the Guizhou Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The direct economic losses reached 1.4 billion yuan (US$202 million) in the province.

The levels of most big rivers were still below warning marks, but small rivers in the worst hit areas saw frequent flooding, the headquarters said.

"From late June through July, the situation in the province will remain critical," a flood control official said.

Torrential rain also devastated southern and eastern provinces in late May and early June, leaving dozens of people dead or missing and 1.6 million displaced, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2008)