Death toll from rainstorm-incurred floods in southwest China's Sichuan Province have reached 15 after the local government confirmed six more deaths on Thursday.

Two people remained missing in the powerful landslide and floods triggered by a continuous downpour from Monday to Wednesday.

The six newly registered victims were mainly from Miyi County in the city of Panzhihua in southern Sichuan.

The disaster affected more than 39,000 residents and destroyed farmland, traffic, electricity and communication facilities in the county, causing some 47 million yuan (US$5.8 million) in direct economic losses, statistics from the provincial disaster-relief office said.

The flood-stricken areas also include three counties in Panzhihua and the city of Ziyang, which were hit by rapid mountain torrents and mud-rock flows with nine deaths and more than 23,000 people affected.

Homeless people have been well accommodated and relief materials have been sent to the disaster-hit counties, according to the office.

A relief work team, made up of officials from the provincial department of civil affairs, land and resources, flood relief office, have arrived at the affected areas to assist the rescue work.

(Xinhua News Agency August 12, 2005)