Relief work carried out in flood-hit Chongqing

China is making ongoing efforts to battle extreme weather, as rain-triggered floods wreak havoc in southern and central parts of the country.

The death toll resulting from the recent heavy downpours in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality rose to 17 as of 11 am Thursday with two others still missing, while local rescue workers are searching for bodies and any potential survivors.

Two bodies of the previously missing individuals were found this morning in Changtan township in Wanzhou district, according to the district's emergency management bureau.

Since Monday, heavy rainfalls have lashed Chongqing, triggering floods and geological disasters across the municipality. Notably, Changtan township has reported record-high precipitation during the latest round of downpours.

China earmarked 320 million yuan on Wednesday from its central natural-disaster relief funds to support flood and geological disaster relief work in regions including Chongqing and Sichuan.