2 missing, 22,600 evacuated in China downpours

Heavy rains that started on Tuesday have left two people missing and forced 22,600 to evacuate in east China's Anhui and Jiangxi provinces, local authorities said Friday. The heavy rain caused two 11-year-old primary school students to fall into a river at about 1 p.m. on Thursday in Xiuning County, Anhui Province, according to the provincial civil affairs department. Nearly 100 people were dispatched to search for the two children, but they remain missing. The department said the downpours have forced the relocations of about 12,400 people and affected the lives of 278,000 people in 47 townships. A total of 53 houses have been destroyed and another 102 were damaged. More than 4,419 hectares of crops have been affected. Economic losses are estimated at about 47.26 million yuan (about 7.7 million U.S. dollars), according to the department. The downpours have also affected 504,400 people and forced 10,200 people to evacuate in neighboring Jiangxi Province, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters. Some 773 houses were damaged due to the heavy rain. In the provincial capital of Nanchang, more than 100,000 square meters of urban area were waterlogged. The average precipitation in the province stood at 55 mm from 2 p.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Friday, with the highest reaching 367 mm in Wuyuan County, the headquarters said.