Torrential rain has taken a rising toll in southern China, affecting millions of people.

Heavy rain started on June 8 in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and triggered landslides, mud-rock flows and floods, affecting more than 6.8 million people and forcing the evacuation of 838,800, said the Guangxi civil affairs department.

Crops on 343,340 hectares of farmland have been damaged or destroyed and more than 30,000 houses collapsed. Losses so far total 3.7 billion yuan (536.2 million US dollars), the department said.

In Hunan Province, nearly 2 million people have been affected and more than 260,000 had to be evacuated from Yongzhou City. Flooding occurred in all 11 counties and districts of the city, leading to the collapse of 15,000 houses.

There were no reports of casualties in Yongzhou, said the local flood control and drought relief headquarters on Sunday.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2008)