TORRENTIAL RAINS IN CHINA'S SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST HAVE KILLED AT LEAST 37 PEOPLE AND DESTROYED MORE THAN 2,500 HOMES, THE GOVERNMENT SAID THURSDAY, ACCORDING TO AP. FLOODING TRIGGERED BY HEAVY RAINS KILLED AT LEAST 30 PEOPLE IN THE MOUNTAINOUS SOUTHERN REGION OF GUIZHOU, THE OFFICIAL XINHUA NEWS AGENCY SAID. IT SAID ANOTHER 20 PEOPLE WERE MISSING AFTER THE RAINS, WHICH HIT THE AREA ON JUNE 12-13. UP TO 200 MILLIMETERS (EIGHT INCHES) OF RAIN FELL IN SOME AREAS, XINHUA SAID. IT SAID ECONOMIC LOSSES WERE ESTIMATED AT 1.1 BILLION YUAN (US$130 MILLION; EURO110 MILLION). IN SICHUAN PROVINCE IN THE SOUTHWEST, SEVEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND ONE WAS MISSING AFTER A RAINSTORM HIT THE CITY OF LUZHOU ON WEDNESDAY, XINHUA SAID, CITING LOCAL OFFICIALS. IT SAID 190 HOUSES WERE DESTROYED. HEAVY SUMMER RAINS CAUSE DEVASTATING FLOODING EVERY YEAR IN AREAS THROUGHOUT CHINA.
