Flooding triggered by a heavy downpour has swept away a villager and more than 1,700 livestock in a township in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the local government said Wednesday.

Zhang Yuzhen, 58, a villager from Qagan Nur Township, Baling Right Banner, was found dead after being swept away along with a donkey cart by a flash flood Tuesday afternoon, said the banner government.

The downpour also packing hail ravaged Qagan Nur Township and the neighboring Baoriwusu Township for about 20 minutes Tuesday afternoon. Hailstones accumulated to up to 8 cm on the ground.

In Qagan Nur about 1,700 sheep and three donkeys were swept away, dozens of houses damaged and crops covering 2,533 hectares of farmland totally ruined.

In Baoriwusu, the downpour wiped out 200 hectares of crops.

The banner government estimated a combined economic loss of 8.5 million yuan (1.23 million U.S. dollars) from the disaster.

(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2009)