9 killed in central China heavy rains

Torrential rains have swept across central China's Hunan province over the past few days, killing nine people and affecting 1.1 million, local authorities said Tuesday. The provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said, the rainstorms in Hunan, which started Saturday, have left nine people dead, three missing and forced 54,000 to evacuate, according to China's news agency (Xinhua). A preliminary investigation shows that about 1.1 million people in 291 townships had been affected and 89,900 hectares of farmland damaged by the rains. The main tributaries of the Yangtze River, the largest river in China, and the 10 major reservoirs in the province have seen water levels rise above the warning levels, the headquarters said.