GUIYANG, June 3 (Xinhua) — Torrential downpours have been sweeping through southwest China’s Guizhou Province since Tuesday noon, killing one person and affecting more than 410,000.
According to the provincial civil affairs department, the rainstorms have killed one person and left another missing. The rains have spread across more than 20 counties and cities, with 20,000 people forced to evacuate.
A total of 352 houses collapsed and more than 1,500 were damaged. The rains have so far caused an estimated economic loss of 163 million yuan (26.3 million U.S. dollars) to the province.
The rains also destroyed part of a railway line linking southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality with Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou, causing delays of nearly 20 passenger trains on Wednesday.
Railway patrols found a 30-meter-long embankment cave-in at around 4:20 a.m. between two the stations in Guizhou. More than 250 rescuers are busy repairing the line, according to railway authorities.
The provincial meteorological center forecast the heavy downpours will continue in the following two days.
China’s National Meteorological Center issued an alert for rainstorms in the southern regions on Tuesday, including Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou provinces as well as Shanghai City from Tuesday night to Wednesday.