The death toll from rains in southwest China's Guizhou Province increased to 17 as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, local authorities said. From Sunday night, downpours have drenched most cities and counties in Guizhou leading to surging river waters and blocked traffic, Xinhua quoted the civil affairs department of Guizhou as saying. Heavy rain has caused minor flooding in some cities, with some experiencing power and telecommunications outages. The storms have affected about 360,000 people and destroyed 1,585 homes. The direct economic loss in Guizhou is estimated at 1.7 billion yuan (about 277 million U.S. dollars). Civil affairs authorities have relocated more than 44,000 people.
