More than 2.6m people affected by floods in South China

BEIJING -- The rain-triggered floods in South China had affected some 2.63 million people in 11 provincial-level regions as of 2 pm Tuesday, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

The heavy rains had forced the relocation of about 228,000 people, destroyed more than 1,300 houses and brought direct economic losses of over 4 billion yuan (about $566 million), the ministry said.

Since June 2, downpours have hit large parts of South China, bringing accumulated precipitation of 100 to 300 mm in some regions.

Affected by the rainstorms, 110 rivers in eight provincial-level regions have seen water levels exceed the warning line, the ministry said.

In southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, over 1 million people have been affected by floods. As of 7 pm on Monday, six people were killed and one went missing after days of downpour.

In central Hunan province, seven people were killed and one went missing as of Tuesday. Local authorities have called for more preparations ahead of the new round of heavy rain and natural disasters that may follow.