77 people dead in China heavy floods

Rainstorms in China raised the death toll to 77 after more bodies were recovered, local authorities said. Disasters and accidents resulting from the rainstorms that started last Saturday claimed the lives of 77 people, of which 66 have been identified, authorities said late on Thursday according to state-run news source Xinhua. Of the other 61 victims, 46 drowned, five were electrocuted, three died in housing collapses, two by mudslide, two by traumatic shock, two from being hit by falling objects and one was struck by lightning, same source said.    The heaviest rain in six decades hit Beijing on Saturday. Average precipitation reached 170 mm, while a township in the suburban district of Fangshan recorded 460 mm of rain. The severe storm has caused an estimated 500 million yuan (78.7 million U.S. dollars) in insured losses, according to the city's insurance regulatory commission.