China floods leave 200 dead, missing

BEIJING, Thursday (Reuters) Heavy rain has triggered floods and mudslides in southern China, leaving at least 200 people dead or missing, a resident and state media said on Wednesday. Torrential rain hit a mountainous region of Hunan province in the early hours on Wednesday and 22 people died in floods, the official Xinhua news agency said. Two officials were killed during rescue work. Thirty-five people, including five students, were missing, Xinhua said.

However, a local resident with knowledge of the casualties and damage said at least 200 people died or were missing after torrential rains hit Xinshao and Lianyuan counties, Shaoyang city and three other cities in Hunan province since Tuesday.

"Villagers, cadres and rescuers were washed away by floods," the resident, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters. "More than 10,000 people were left homeless after their homes were either washed away, flooded or toppled," he said.

Mountain torrents in Xinshao were the worst in the county's history, Xinhua said. At least 47 villages were devastated by the torrents and 54,600 villagers affected, Xinhua quoted Shen Guirong, director of the county government's publicity department, as saying.