BEIJING (Sputnik) — Over 6,700 people were evacuated in China from potentially dangerous areas after heavy rainfalls lashed central and southwestern regions of the country, causing massive flooding, as the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs reported on Monday, adding that at least eight people were killed and seven have gone missing.
The torrential downpours affected some 596,000 people in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Shaanxi, as well as the municipality of Chongqing.
The rainstorm, which had been battering the areas since Friday, caused mudflows, landslides and floods, while some regions were hit by a heavy hail.According to the ministry's statement, the damage inflicted so far is estimated at 420 million yuan [nearly $64,5 million]. Over 500 houses were destroyed in the floods, 2,700 others were damaged. Around 68,400 acres of farmlands were devastated by rainfall.
