2 killed, 2 missing in torrential downpours

Two people were killed and two others are missing after a new round of rainstorms in Southwest China.

As of 10 am on Tuesday, one person had been killed and two were missing after downpours swept through 59 counties in Guizhou province, the provincial flood control headquarters said. Nearly 400 houses had collapsed.

The heaviest precipitation was 200.5 mm in Tongzhi county from 8 am on Monday to 8 am on Tuesday. Water in the local Tongzhi River rose to 1.14 meters above warning levels.

The storms affected 156,000 people and caused direct economic losses of 120 million yuan ($19.2 million).

"My family has 0.7 hectare of land, and we could earn up to 20,000 yuan every year in the past. But now, it's all gone," said Tang Guoguang, 40, who lived in Yinfeng village.

Tang had been living for 10 days in a tent while his wife and two children stay at a relative's house.

"I want to rebuild my house as soon as possible," Tang said. "I hope my life returns to normal."

But Tang's hopes may not be fulfilled soon since more rain is expected in Southwest China and is expected to last until Thursday.

Rainstorms also hit nine cities in central Hunan province, provincial flood control authorities said.

A 61-year-old man died after a landslide flattened his house on Monday in Xinhua county. The downpours sparked the evacuation of 20,000 people and the collapse of 1,305 houses in Hunan.

Rescue and relief work is underway.

At least 37 people died and six others were missing after the previous round of downpours hit provinces in southern China in May, according to the China National Commission for Disaster Reduction.