Chinese floods kill almost 200

Peking (AFP) - Nearly 200 people have been killed in floods in south-western China that have devastated huge areas of farmland and left thousands homeless, as torrential rains showed no signs of letting up yesterday. In coastal Fujian province, 113 people were reported dead, while 88 were injured and 306 were missing, the China News Service said. More than 7,000 houses had been destroyed and 13,860 acres of farmland flooded. Financial losses in the region were put at more than 400m yuan ( pounds 38m).

In the province of Zhejiang 26 people were killed in severe flooding, an official said. More than 400,000 people were affected by the floods there. Around 13,000 houses collapsed and 405,000 acres of land were under water, while damage was estimated at 1bn yuan. The official said heavy rains might continue until the end of this week.