2 killed, 220,000 affected in 2 killed, 220,000 affected in southwest China rainstorms

Two people were killed and about 222,000 have been affected in southwest China's Guizhou Province by rainstorms lasting from Sunday to Thursday, local authorities said.

One of the victims was killed by falling rocks, and another was killed when a building collapsed, said the provincial civil affairs department on Thursday.

The heavy rain has also forced the evacuation of more than 9,700 people and more than 5,400 need emergency living relief, the department said.

More than 300 houses collapsed, and over 2,000 homes were damaged. About 8,300 hectares of cropland have been affected, resulting in a direct economic loss of 160 million yuan (about 25 million U.S. dollars), it said.

The neighboring Hunan Province has also been battered by heavy rain over the past three days, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said.

As of Thursday, a total of 151,300 people from eight counties and cities in Hunan have been affected, and 9,160 have been relocated to safe places, it said.