Drought, hails and rainstorms since the beginning of the year have inconvenienced local people and causing huge economic losses to northwest China's Shaanxi Province, according to the provincial civil affairs department on Sunday.

Natural disasters have affected 2.36 million people in 490 towns of 60 cities and counties in the province. Eleven people were reported killed and another six were missing. Local governments evacuated 12,000 to safe places.

Rainstorms and hails flattened 37,800 houses and damaged another 40,000 in the province. The disasters damaged 610,000 hectares of crops, 40,000 of which were totally destroyed. The total economic loss caused by the disasters were estimated to be more than 1.4 billion yuan (US$1.69 billion).

The Shaanxi Provincial Red Cross Society has called on people from all walks of life to donate money and materials to help the affected people.

On Saturday, the provincial Red Cross society sent the first batch of donations including quilts and flour to the hands of the affected people in Ankang and Weinan areas, which were hit by the disasters.

Shaanxi reported three major disasters since the beginning of this year. The province was first hit by serious drought from March to April, and from late May to the late June, rainstorms and hails with strong winds hit most part of the province. The province has been hit by continuous heavy rains since late June.

A rainstorm hit mountainous areas of Huayin City from July 1 to July 2, affecting more than 3,680 people, four were reportedly dead. Rainstorms also hit several counties of Ankang and Hanzhong cities, inconveniencing people's life, damaging houses and crops.

(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2005)