BEIJING: At least 42 people have been killed and 25 remain missing in China after incessant rains lashed several southern regions of the country in the last five days.
More than 460,000 people were relocated and 321,000 are in urgent need of emergency relief after continuous rainfall in the 10 regions in southern part of China including Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei and Sichuan, since June 18, the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) has said.
About 6,800 houses have collapsed and a huge damage to the crops have led to an economic loss of 9.67 billion yuan (USD 1.46 billion), it said.
More than 500 policemen have been dispatched to Poyang County in Jiangxi where a river breached its banks on Monday evening.
The ministry has launched an emergency service to obtain data via China's remote sensing satellites to monitor the situation, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
It will also use drones and high-definition satellite pictures to monitor and analyse damage to residences, roads and farmland, it said.
The seasonal rains, known as the "plum rains" or Meiyu-baiyu rains, cause heavy flooding in China every year, usually affecting the country for around two months beginning in late May.