By Xinhua
Ankang (China) : At least seven people have been killed and four are missing after a devastating rainstorm hit a city of northwest China’s Shaanxi province, officials said Sunday.
Torrential downpours swept Ankang city in the south of the province from Thursday to Friday, with nine areas reporting rainfall of over 100 mm, local flood control authorities said.
Floods and landslides triggered by the storm brought down 3,500 houses and swamped hundreds of hectares of cropland.
Authorities said they had arranged temporary accommodation for those rendered homeless. Efforts were underway to restore power and communication facilities in Ankang.
The rainstorm has caused a direct economic loss of 200 million yuan ($26 million) for the city.
Floods and related disasters have left a total of 1,138 people dead and 210 missing in China this year alone, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.