Floods, mudslides leave 21 dead, 11 missing in southwest China

BEIJING: At least 21 people were killed, 363 others injured and 11 went missing after continuous rains triggered flash floods and mudslides in southwest China.

Flash floods and mudslides in Ganzi and Liangshan autonomous prefectures in Sichuan Province killed 11 people, injured five, and left five missing on Thursday.

In Ganzi, the mudslide has also damaged a 300-meter stretch of a provincial highway.

Continuous rains in the neighbouring Chongqing Municipality have caused floods, slides and lightening strikes since Wednesday noon, leaving 10 people dead and six others missing. About 363 people were injured, Xinhua news agency reported.

The rains have affected more than 2.3 million population and caused the evacuation of 112,000 people from their homes, a senior official said.

Governments in Sichuan and Chongqing are organizing relief and search efforts for the affected lot.

The rugged terrain and lack of communication have greatly hindered the rescue efforts in rural mountainous areas.