At Least 68 Dead, 400,000 Evacuated In S. China Flooding - AFP

Relentless rainstorms in southern China have killed at least 68 people and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands and the situation could get worse, the government and reports said Thursday.

Fujian province on the southeast coast has been the hardest hit with at least 28 deaths confirmed since the start of June, the state flood headquarters reported on its website. Seventeen people have perished in neighboring Guangdong province where rains have pounded the region bordering Hong Kong since May 21.

In Fujian, flooding on the Min river was the worst in 20 years with waters exceeding warning levels by 8.8 meters (29 feet) as the government scrambled to fight the rising waters and landslides that are threatening the lives of up to 356,000 evacuees, the headquarters reported. Nearly 1.8 million people in Fujian were affected by the flooding and mud slides, while 54,000 hectares of crop lands were inundated and 9,300 homes flooded, the report said.

Direct economic losses in Fujian have been initially estimated at 3.15 billion yuan (393 million dollars), it added. In neighboring Guangdong, 79 monitoring stations throughout the province reported that at least 400 millimeters (16 inches) of rain fell between May 21 and June 6, while in the Pearl River Delta around Taishan city up to 711 millimeters fell during the period, it said.

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