Torrential rain kills 18 in Central China city

ZHENGZHOU -- Torrential rain since last week has left 18 dead and 10 missing in Central China's Anyang city, Henan province as of Sunday, the city government said on Monday.

Heavy rain since last Monday has battered 71 county-level cities in Henan, and Anyang was the one of the worst-hit areas.

Nearly 200,000 people had been relocated as of 4 pm Sunday and the direct economic losses are estimated at 7.2 billion yuan (about $1.1 billion), according to the city government.

In rural areas, about 1,500 km of roads were flooded and 56 bridges were damaged.

In the city, about 70 square meters of land were waterlogged, nine electrical pump stations were damaged, and 20 residential communities were affected.

The city has mobilized 316,000 people, 5,032 cars, 20 steam boats and 50 water pumps in the rescue work. So far, over 210 km of roads and more than 570 pieces of electrical equipment have been repaired.