/ 6 September 2004

Torrential rain kills scores in China

At least 90 people were killed and 77 were missing in torrential storms lashing south-west China, disaster relief officials said on Monday.

At least 66 were killed and 50 were missing in Sichuan province while 24 people died and 27 were missing in Chongqing municipality.

”Among the dead and missing many are from Dazhou city. There are 41 dead and 30 missing there,” a Sichuan disaster relief bureau official said.

”It has mainly been caused by landslides and mountain torrents, mud and rock flows.”

Tang Wanli, an official from the Chongqing civil affairs bureau, said 24 people were dead and 27 were missing in his municipality.

He said Kai district, the scene of a gas leak that killed 243 people in December last year, was completely flooded.

Heavy rain has been pounding the area since last Thursday. — Sapa-AFP