Eighteen people died and 15 others have been reported missing in downpours that have swept south China's Guangdong Province since Wednesday, local authorities said Thursday. Rainstorms battered 173 townships in five cities, including the provincial capital Guangzhou, on Wednesday and Thursday, triggering heavy flooding in some areas and leaving 18 people dead and 15 missing, Xinhua quoted the Guangdong Provincial Flood Prevention and Drought Relief Headquarters as saying. The water levels of some rivers in Guangdong have surpassed warning lines, and an offshoot of the Beijiang River saw the worst flooding in a century, according to the headquarters. A total of 650,000 people have been affected by the heavy rains and 2,675 houses have been destroyed. As of 11 a.m. Thursday, 19 meteorological stations in Guangdong had reported precipitation measuring over 250 mm. Qujiang District, Shaoguan City, saw the highest precipitation, at 339.8 mm. The province initiated level-III emergency response on Thursday morning for flood prevention.
