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Week of heavy rainfalls leaves over 20 dead across China

BEIJING, April 01. /ITAR-TASS/. A week of heavy rains and ensuing mudslides across seven provinces of China left a total of 21 people killed, while four more were reported missing, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday citing the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Since last Thursday, torrential rains swept across the Chinese provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing and Guizhou, leaving over 1.16 million people affected and forcing some 17,000 to abandon their houses.

According to the ministry, some 6,600 people still remain in the emergency areas and require rescue assistance.

The rainfall, which in some cases turned into hailstorms, destroyed a total of over 1,600 houses and damaged some 55,000 more.

The agency said citing weather forecasters that the rainfall was likely to continue by the end of this week.