Society

SW China rainstorms leave 7 dead, 5 missing

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-07-06 13:23

CHENGDU - A new round of heavy downpours in southwest Sichuan province that began Monday evening has left one dead and another missing, bringing the rain-triggered death toll to seven since June 30, the provincial flood control office said Wednesday.

At 4:40 pm Tuesday, a villager from Wangcang county was killed when a wall collapsed while he was discharging water from his yard.

Earlier on the same day, a student from Guangyuan city was swept away by flood waters while walking to school and is now listed as missing.

Continuous downpours have wreaked havoc in Sichuan since last Thursday .

Eight people have lost contact with their families due to floods, which have forced 27,600 people to relocate, according to the flood control office.

Rain-triggered mudslides have cut off access to a pivotal highway in the province, State Highway 213, which was referred to as a "lifeline" by rescue workers following the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in the province.

Repair work on the highway is under way but was greatly hindered by new cave-ins.

At least 400 meters of the highway was totally damaged by the roadside river as the course of it was diverted as a result of a mudslide, said Gao Feng, head of the provincial traffic bureau.

Direct economic losses are estimated to reach 500 million yuan ($77 million) as a result of the flooding.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast that rainstorms would continue lashing southwestern regions till Thursday.