Over 40,000 affected by rainstorms in south China

Heavy rains and subsequent disasters have affected around 42,000 people in Chinese Hubei Province since Monday, local authorities said Tuesday. A total of 14 counties and townships in western Hubei Province have been hit by downpours, said Chinese provincial flood control and drought relief office. The rain triggered landslides and floods in Xingshan County in the city of Yichang, where one person was killed when a house collapsed and another person is missing, China’s (Xinhua) News Agency reported. The disasters also toppled 294 houses, damaged 15.5 km of roads, and caused direct economic losses of 59 million yuan about (9.22 million US dollars). Xingshan County’s town of Nanyang experienced a blackout Tuesday morning after 31 power poles and 10 km of power lines were damaged by storms. Power supply resumed following repairs, according to officials. Despite the damage, the rain has brought much needed relief in some drought-stricken parts of southern China. The Chinese National Meteorological Center said that heavy rains will sweep the country’s southern and southwestern areas over the next three days. Meteorologists warned people to beware of lightning strikes and rain-triggered disasters.