NANNING - At least two people were injured and one other person left missing after a landslide caused by heavy rain hit the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Tuesday.

Rescuers are still searching for the missing person near a port in Fangchenggang, which has received 117 mm of rain since 10 pm on Monday, city government sources said.

Floods caused by the heavy rain have also trapped 850 students in a five-story school building of Laibin Experimental Middle School in Guangxi, said Wei Wei, an official with Laibin's city education bureau.

By 10:30 am on Tuesday, floodwaters 1.5 meters deep had submerged most of the first floor of the building. The students were trapped upstairs, Wei said.

Rescuers used lifeboats to transport food and water to the students. They will get the students out as soon as they can ensure safe rescue work, Wei said. Rescuers were also waiting for more lifeboats to arrive.

The meteorological station in Guangxi issued a red alert on Tuesday due to the continuing rainstorm.

It said 11 townships in Guangxi have received more than 300 mm of rain, with several hit by floods. The rain is forecast to last until Wednesday.

The flood control and drought relief headquarters in Guizhou province also said on Tuesday that at least 11 people died and three remained missing after rain-triggered disasters hit the province last month.

The latest fatalities were registered in Shiqian county of Tongren prefecture on Monday, when a landslide hit a minivan. Three people aboard died at the scene and two were rescued later.

Two other villagers were also buried by a landslide in Meitan county of Zunyi city on Sunday when they were trying to repair a tunnel damaged by continuous rain.

More than 70,000 people across Guizhou have suffered property losses due to the rain, which destroyed 52 homes, ruined more than 4,000 hectares of farmland and incurred 13.1 million yuan ($1.92 million) in economic losses.

Longping town of Luodian county has received the most rain since Monday, recording 171.7 mm.

Rain was expected to hit parts of the province on Tuesday night and Wednesday, according to the latest weather forecast.

Xinhua

(China Daily 06/02/2010 page3)