By Xinhua
Beijing : Torrential rains in southern China have killed at least 66 people, ministry according of civil affairs said.
"Floods caused by heavy rains have affected about 294,800 hectares of crops, completely destroying 53,000 hectares of them," said an official with the ministry,
The floods have torn down 48,000 and damaged 94,000 houses in southern China, and forced about 591,000 people to evacuate from their homes, the official said.
From Wednesday to Saturday, continuous torrential rains, mudslides and floods hit Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi and Fujian, affecting more than 8.97 million people.
The disasters have caused an overall economic loss of more than 2.9 billion yuan ($371 million), the ministry estimated.
Rescue teams have been sent to the disaster areas to assist relief work.