3 dead in south China rainstorms

Heavy rainstorms killed three people and forced the relocation of more than 54,000 residents after they hit southern China regions. "Heavy rains battered Hunan Province since Thursday, disrupting traffic, power, telecommunications and raising water levels in major rivers and reservoirs," the provincial flood control headquarters said. "A villager in Jinwutang Township was killed in a landslide," it added. "As of 11 a.m. Sunday, the round of heavy rains affected 461,800 people in 131 townships and destroyed 1,400 housing units in the province," the report said. Local governments have relocated 54,000 people to avoid geological risks from the rainstorms. In neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, downpours have left two people dead and affected nearly 200,000 residents, the regional department of civil affairs said. As of 5:00 p.m. Sunday, heavy rains toppled down 522 housing units and seriously damaged another 888 in the region. Direct economic losses were estimated at about 119 million Yuan (USD 19 mln). Local governments have relocated 5,000 residents to safe areas. As of Sunday noon, power supply had been restored after a rainstorm-triggered flash flood hit Fugong County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the county publicity department said. It tore down 14 houses and two bridges, damaging flood-control dikes and inundating a hydropower generation plant. Local governments in risk-prone areas have relocated residents and allotted them daily necessities. Shenzhen, a booming town in south China's Guangdong Province, on Sunday experienced its strongest rainfall since 2008, with 2,000 cars submerged in the streets and the operations of more than 5,000 buses suspended. The city's meteorological bureau issued a red alert for heavy rain, the highest level of the four-tier alert system. About 130 flights have been canceled at the Shenzhen airport, while another 70 outbound flights have been delayed for more than four hours as of 7:30 p.m. on Sunday evening. The railway authorities in Shenzhen said they had halted high-speed rail service linking Shenzhen and the provincial capital of Guangzhou. No casualties have been reported so far in the city.