Rainstorms kill 111 in China

BEIJING - Torrential rains have ravaged 22 provincial-level regions in China since July 20, leaving 111 dead and another 47 missing, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Tuesday.

As of 2 pm Tuesday, natural disasters caused by the downpours have affected nearly 9.2 million people in 353 counties and forced the evacuation of nearly 1.18 million people, the ministry said in a statement.

The rainstorms also destroyed 54,000 houses and damaged another 144,000.

Natural disasters have affected about 110 million people in 31 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland so far this year, leaving 721 dead and 118 missing, according to the ministry.