One person was killed and eight more injured as a strong gale and hailstorm ripped through parts of Anhui Province in east China.

Also affected were 1.1 million people from five cities, all in southern part of Anhui including Tongling and Huangshan, when the storms struck on Saturday morning.

The strong wind started to blow around 6:27 AM first in Tongshan Township of Tongling City, which was also pelted by egg-size hailstones, with large area of crops being destroyed, one local resident of Tongshan Township said.

The only person killed in the bad weather was identified as a fisherman surnamed Xiang. When the strong wind started to roar from 7 AM to 8 AM, Xiang, who was going fishing on a local lake, was swept into the water and drowned. His body was found on Sunday.

A total of 608 houses were toppled by the strong wind, said Xue Kunming, an official with Anhui Provincial Bureau of Civil Affairs, who placed the direct economic losses at 120 million yuan (about US$14.8 million).

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2006)