3 killed by rain-triggered collapse in C China

CHANGSHA - Three people were killed after a house collapsed after days of heavy rain in Central China's Hunan province early Thursday, local authorities said.

The collapse occurred at 1:20 am in Jiayi Township in Pingjiang County, burying an elderly woman and her four-year-old granddaughter and 11-year-old nephew, the county's flood control office said in a statement.

More than 100 local residents and officials managed to pull the three out of the debris, but they died from their injuries after being taken to a local hospital, it said.

In wake of the collapse, the office has ordered sweeping safety checks for schools, houses, reservoirs, mine tailing dams and areas that are prone to flash floods and geological disasters.

Another three people perished in two landslides that have occurred in Hunan since Monday. A total of 420,000 people in 26 counties and districts have been affected by the rain and 22,000 others have been displaced.

The rain has also damaged or destroyed 5,200 houses and destroyed 27,200 hectares of crops.

Weather in most parts of Hunan is expected to clear up starting Friday, according to the provincial meteorological center.

However, the province is also expected to be hit by a new round of rain lasting from Tuesday to Saturday next week.