Across China: Chongqing

Hailstorms claim 13 lives

Hailstorms have ravaged southern parts of China since Sunday, killing 13 people, closing an expressway and destroying crops on at least 81,300 hectares of farmland, officials said yesterday.

Seven people were killed and one was injured when a bus was hit in a landslide caused by the hailstorms in mountainous Chongqing Municipality yesterday, while the others were killed by falling roofs and lightning on Sunday and yesterday, said the Chongqing office of disaster relief.