Flooding and landslides caused by torrential rain killed at least six people and left thousands homeless over the past few days in northern China.

The six fatalities were caused by floods and landslides which struck Lintan County in Northwest China's Gansu Province Tuesday night, local government officials said, adding that five others were missing.

The floods also destroyed more than 210 houses and 10 kilometres of highway.

The provincial government has dispatched a rescue team to the flooded areas.

Heavy rains have hit the western part of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China, over the past several days, causing heavy economic losses and leaving hundreds of people homeless.

According to the provincial meteorological station and water resources departments, the heaviest rains since the beginning of this summer hit Heilongjiang on Sunday and Monday, with the rainfall in some cities and counties exceeding 10 centimetres.

Six counties have so far been affected by floods, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Floods have damaged more than 33,000 hectares of crops, flattened 215 houses and affected 20,000 people in Gannan County. The floods also caused economic losses totalling 57 million yuan (US$6.9 million), local officials said.

The heavy rains have also affected nearby Jilin Province in the past several days, causing the water levels of 20 reservoirs in Jilin to exceed warning levels.

The latest weather forecast said more rain is expected in Northeast China over the next few days.

The Yellow River, the second longest in China after the Yangtze, breached its banks at its middle reaches Wednesday morning in an unexpected flood.

The Fugu Hydrological Station recorded the largest water flow of 13,000 cubic metres per second at 8 am on Wednesday.

It is the largest water flow ever recorded by the hydrological station, according to the Yellow River Flood Control Headquarters.

The flood, caused by moderate and heavy rains in Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces in northern China, had a swift, high crest but was limited in capacity.

Nevertheless, the headquarters are closely monitoring the situation, while provinces along the river have been told to prepare for possible flooding.

In recent years, the Yellow River has almost dried up, resulting in serious water shortages for industries, farming and daily life in these provinces.

Xinhua contributed to the story

(HK Edition 08/01/2003 page2)