Rainstorms kill 65 in southern China

Rainstorms in southern China killed at least 65 people and toppled 9,900 houses this week, the ministry of water resources said in a statement on its website.

Another 14 people are missing and 2.55 million people, as well as 100,000 hectares of arable land, have been affected. The rainstorms hit Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Guangdong and Hunan, triggering flash floods and breaching dikes.

Strong rains are forecast to continue in Jiangxi and Hunan in the next few days, Xinhua news agency quoted local meteorological authorities as saying.

The worst hit areas were Chongqing municipality, with at least 31 dead and 8,000 collapsed houses, and Hunan province, where 10 people died. Chongqing's government has relocated more than 85,000 people.

Only a month ago several of the same provinces were suffering from the worst drought in a century to hit southwest China.