SEVENTEEN people died and nine people went missing after heavy downpours hit Southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the regional emergency management department announced yesterday.

More than 590,000 people have been affected by the week-long downpours, according to the latest update.

More than 30,000 people have been relocated. The floods triggered by the heavy rain have damaged more than 34,600 hectares of crops. A total of 1,747 houses collapsed and 966 were severely damaged, according to the department.

The provincial meteorological authorities yesterday maintained a yellow alert for heavy rain, predicting storms in cities including Guilin, Nanning and Baise.

Heavy rain has also affected provinces including Guizhou, Guangdong, Hunan, Fujian and Gansu. 

(Xinhua)