55 killed in heavy rains in China

At least 55 people have been killed and 14 are reported missing in rain and hailstorms that have lashed south China, media reports said on Friday, RIA reports.

Hardest-hit Guangdong Province reported 36 deaths and 10 missing persons, according to the National Committee for Disaster Reduction.

The National Committee for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs initiated emergency response for storms and flooding in Hunan Province that have already affected 1.59 million people and claimed three lives.

The committee also dispatched 3,000 tents to affected areas, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Ten provincial localities in south China have been affected by the fresh round of storms and flooding that began on Tuesday.
According to weather forecasts, the heavy downpours are set to continue unabated in the area over the weekend.