By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : At least 22 people have died and 45 others are missing after landslides hit a number of villages in southwest China, Xinhua reported.
Over 1,000 homes were destroyed in the Yunnan Province as torrential rain caused landslides that engulfed villages over the weekend. Xinhua said a further 2,300 homes have been damaged in the disaster.
Authorities fear the death toll could rise as the rain is forecast to continue for the next two days, hampering rescue efforts.
In Chuxiong, more than 25,000 people are reported to have been evacuated, the region’s deputy head of disaster relief, Fa Yubin, said.
Food, tents and clothes have been sent to the worst-hit areas and around 150 troops are involved in the search for the missing.