Downpours leave 23 dead in NW China

XI'AN - Twenty-three people have been left dead in rainstorms that have battered the city of Yan'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi province since July 7, said local authorities on Saturday.

Fifteen people have been injured while four others have gone missing, the headquarters said, adding that the injured are being treated at local hospitals.

The city has not seen rain of this duration since 2002. The risk of possible flooding or landslides is high.

The local government has sent rescuers and relief supplies to affected areas.