By Xinhua,
Guiyang (China) : Hailstorms and floods triggered by torrential rains have left 18 people dead and 12 missing in southwest China’s Guizhou province, local authorities said here Tuesday.
A total of 166 people were injured and more than 4,600 have been evacuated since the flooding and hailstorms began to hit Guiyang, capital of Guizhou, Sunday night.
More than 538,000 people in 17 cities and counties in Guizhou were affected in the floods and about 6,700 houses were reduced to rubble or damaged.
The rain flooded 11 sections of a major provincial highway and cut communications and power supplies to some areas of the Yuanling county.
Rescuers were searching for the people reported missing and had started to repair damaged infrastructure.
The provincial meteorological office had forecast more torrential rain until Thursday.t