Death toll rises in China floods

Flash floods have brought devastation to the region

At least 71 people are now known to have died, and 640,000 displaced, after floods and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain in southern China.

Some 56,000 homes and thousands of hectares of crops have been destroyed, bringing economic losses of 3.4bn yuan ($436m) to the region, officials say.

Guangdong, the heart of China's light industry, was among the worst hit.

Meteorologists are warning of more rain to come as the storm season gets under way in the region.

Rescuers are working to reinforce dams, restore power and help search for at least 13 people still missing.

People who had been forced to flee their homes are seeking shelter in schools or with family and friends.

Vulnerable communities

The provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Fujian and Jiangxi were among the worst-affected by the weekend floods.

Television pictures showed flood waters reaching the top of trees and homes.

In Guangxi, the rains destroyed 29 reservoirs and 162 roads and forced 59 factories to suspend production, Xinhua news agency reported.

The coastal areas of Hunan, Fujian and Zhejiang could expect at least another couple of days of downpours and strong winds, the Chinese weather office said.

Seasonal rains bring flash floods to China each year.

Although towns and cities are normally protected by dykes, smaller farming communities and mountain towns are particularly vulnerable to the sudden rise in water levels.

In the country's central and southern regions, many people farm on land reclaimed from the flood plains.

Last year some 2,704 people died in flooding and typhoons in China, according to the country's Meteorological Administration.