Heavy rainfall in south China over the last few days has left 21 people dead and four others missing, said the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Tuesday.
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As of 9 a.m. on Tuesday, torrential rains in seven Chinese provincial- level regions -- Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing and Guizhou, have affected more than 1.16 million people and forced 17,000 to leave their homes, the ministry said in a statement.
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A total of 6,600 people are in need of emergency sustenance assistance, it said, while 1,600 houses have been toppled and 55,000Â damaged.
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The floods inundated 47,600 hectares of crops and caused direct economic losses of 650 million CNY (105.7 million USD), according to the statement.
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Since Thursday last week, some areas have witnessed as much as 300 mm of rainfall. There have also been thunder and hailstorms.
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Weather forecasts indicated that heavy rain may continue this week.Â