Downpours, hailstorm leave 7 dead in NW China

LANZHOU - Seven people died and another went missing after downpours and hailstorms lashed Northwest China's Gansu province late Monday, local authorities said Tuesday.

The heavy rain hit parts of Dingxi city, Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture and the provincial capital Lanzhou from 7 pm to 11 pm Monday, said the provincial government.

Twenty-six people were injured. Nearly 20,000 people were affected and 213 houses collapsed.

Flood and mud flow hit a township in Zhangxian county, Dingxi, damaging some houses and cut off a national highway. The area reported a maximum precipitation of 71 mm as of 10 pm Monday.

Rescue and disaster relief work is under way. Authorities are also counting the exact losses of the disaster.