BEIJING: A total of 115 people were killed and nearly five million affected by heavy rains and flash floods triggered by Typhoon Bilis across China, official media reported on Sunday.
While 43 people died in the southeastern province of Fujian, the central province of Hunan witnessed 39 deaths. In the southern Guangdong province, the death toll reached 33.
Leiyang city in Hunan province was one of the worst- hit after torrential rains pelted the city since on Saturday.
Rescuers have evacuated 52,000 people, but nearly 5,000 others are still stranded. At least 2.3 million people in Hunan Province have been affected by the rainstorm and floods.
About 31,400 houses were toppled down and 36,630 hectares of farmland were spoiled. Guangdong province witnessed heavy rains and many places experienced landslides.
At least 6,500 people have been evacuated to safe places, while another 12,000 are still trapped.
In the Lechang city, where the urban areas have been flooded and average depth of water has reached three meters, 1,663 prisoners from the Beijiang Prison have been transferred to safer places on a hill.
The Beijing-Guangzhou Railway was cut off by the flood and a train carrying over 1,000 passengers started from Guangzhou was intercepted in Lechang last night. The passengers have all been sent to nearby cities, Xinhua news agency reported.
