Rainstorms, flooding kill 88 in China

Torrential rain hit provinces including Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, forcing millions of residents to be evacuated, Xinhua news agency reported.

Seventy-eight people were confirmed dead in the central province of Hunan, where more than 100 were still missing, Xinhua said, citing official figures.

More than 70 deaths in the province occurred in Chenzhou city, where 190,000 people had to be evacuated, the report said. Some 5.47 million people were trapped by floods at one stage but they have since been rescued.

At least 2.3 million people across the province have been affected by rainstorms and floods, Xinhua said earlier, with some 31,400 houses toppled and 36,630 hectares (90,500 acres) of farmland damaged.

In neighbouring Guangdong province, ten people were killed and 12 others were missing after 550,000 people were hit by the rainstorms, Xinhua said.

Some 47,000 people had to be evacuated in the southern province, it said.

Television news footage showed muddy floodwater gushing down the streets in various regions while many trapped residents awaited rescue.