15 dead, 3 missing after torrential rains in Shanxi

Fifteen people died and three remain missing due to torrential rains affecting a population of 1.75 million in North China's Shanxi province, the provincial government said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Many parts of Shanxi were ravaged by continuous rains, the strongest observed since meteorological records began for the province, from Oct 2 to 7. During that period, the average precipitation in the province was 119 millimeters, with the largest amount of 285.2 mm seen in Daning county in Linfen.

More than 238,000 hectares of crops were damaged. In terms of homes, 19,500 houses collapsed and 18,200 others were severely damaged, while more than 120,000 residents were relocated. The direct economic losses exceed 5 billion yuan.

Because of the rains, 37 rivers in the province flooded, affecting highways and railways.