Heavy rain forces 16,000 to evacuate in South China

More than 16,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes as torrential rains pelted parts of south Guangdong Province in China, local flood control authorities said Thursday. Heavy rains unleashed by summer monsoons started to pound the Pearl River Delta and the province's west coastal region, disrupting traffic and forcing people in low-lying areas to leave their homes, China's News Agency (Xinhua) reported. Over 13,500 of the evacuees were from the worst-hit city of Yangjiang, while the evacuation of the rest 2,500 was reported in the city of Taishan, where downpours flooded 20 villages. The headquarters sent a work team to the rain-ravaged regions to direct flood-relief operations. Torrential rains also lashed nearby Fujian Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, prompting local authorities to issue warnings of potential geological disasters. Authorities in the southwestern province of Sichuan also asked residents to guard against possible landslides and mountain torrents as more rains are expected to hit parts of the province later this week.