Floods kill 25 in NE China

A flooded road is seen after rainstorm hit Hongshi township in Huadian, Jilin province, Aug 16, 2013. The death toll has risen to 25 following rain-triggered floods in Northeast China. [Photo/Xinhua]

CHANGCHUN -- The bodies of three people who went missing in a flood in Northeast China's Jilin province were recovered on Saturday, local authorities said.

The latest casualties brought the death toll of floods which also hit neighboring Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces to 25.

Around 4:00 am on Friday floods hit a residential compound in Hongshi township, Huadian, leaving 11 dead. Three others were reportedly missing before their bodies were recovered Saturday.

About 200 residents from some 70 families have been relocated from their submerged community buildings.

Northeast China has been hit by the worst flooding in decades this summer.

Heilongjiang reported 11 flood-related deaths on Friday and Three people remain missing since the floods began on August 10, bringing water levels in three major rivers in the province to dangerous levels.

Nearly 2 million people in Heilongjiang have been affected, with 140,000 being relocated, according to the provincial civil affairs department.

The floods have destroyed over 2,500 houses and severely damaged at least 12,500 others, with direct economic losses estimated at 7.13 billion yuan (US$1.15 billion).

In Liaoning Province to the south of Jilin, more than 140 reservoirs  discharged water after rain from Thursday to Saturday raised levels above warning lines.

Railways and highways were cut off and bridges damaged by the floods in Fushun City where rainfall was the heaviest. Over 300,000 people there have been affected.