Three people were confirmed dead and another one missing in rainstorms that pelted most parts of central China's Henan Province on Sunday, according to local government on Monday.

Yuzhou city was most seriously affected by the rainstorms with a record rainfall of 300 mm in some areas, according to the provincial government.

Rainstorms caused burst of the dams of Xiashuihe Village and Shihe Village, leaving three people dead and another one missing.

Torrential rains flattened 398 houses and 22 bridges in a dozen townships of the city, causing an economic loss of 20 million yuan(US$2.5 million).

Liu Xinmin, vice-governor of Henan, and other government officials have rushed to the disaster-affected areas to direct rescue work.

(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2006)