23 killed as downpours pound South China

BEIJING - Continuing heavy rain, mostly in South China, has left 23 people dead and another six missing, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Monday.

Ten provincial regions have reported deaths after heavy downpours caused floods, hailstones, landslides and other geological disasters, including five deaths in Southwest China's Yunnan province. There have also been three deaths in Heilongjiang in northeast China.

More than 1.4 million people have been affected by the heavy rain, with 36,000 being displaced, the Office of the National Committee for Disaster Reduction said. An initial estimate puts direct economic losses at 1.49 billion yuan ($240 million), it said.