China: Incessant rains leave at least 29 dead

Beijing: At least 29 people have died and 14 others reported missing in floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in northeastern China over the past week, state media said today. Floods in Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Jilin provinces have led to the relocation of 140,000 people, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. [caption id=“attachment_1040705” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Rescuers evacuate residents from a landslide hit Niangniangba area in Tianshui City in northwest China’s Gansu Province. AP[/caption] The latest casualties brought the death toll of floods to 29, Xinhua said, adding that the flooding in the region is the worst in decades. In Heilongjiang, the floods have destroyed over 2,500 houses and severely damaged at least 12,500 others, with direct economic losses estimated at $1.15 billion, said the provincial civil affairs department. Downpours and floods triggered by the Typhoon Utor have also caused economic losses of $18.15 million in the country. More than 5,000 officers and soldiers from the Shenyang Military Area Command have been dispatched to northeast region for flood relief. Shenyang Military Area Command has also sent vehicles and boats to flood-stricken areas. PTI