As of 9:30 PM Sunday, search for nine people, who were missing after heavy rains and ensuing floods hit northeast China's Liaoning Province from Friday night to Saturday, was still continuing, local government sources said.

Heavy rains and ensuing flooding affected 116 townships in the province, destructing more than 2,500 houses and damaging 60,000 hectares of crops, according to the provincial headquarters for flood control and drought relief.

As of 7 PM Sunday, flooding cut off traffic on 47 county-level highways, 17 more than Saturday, damaged 25 bridges and 119 tunnels. The total loss is estimated to be 81.15 million yuan (about US$10 million).

Heavy rains also caused landslides and collapse of roadbed in some places, according to the headquarters.

Thanks to immediate rescue efforts, 700 people besieged by floodwater were rescued on Sunday. On the same day, two artery highways and four county-level highways reopened to traffic after rush repair.

The Liaoning provincial meteorological station forecast moderate to heavy rains in some parts of the province in the coming week.

The provincial headquarters for flood control and drought relief is working out more measures to reduce loses to the minimum.

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2005)