'23 killed in heavy rains in China this month'

A recent spell of heavy rains in China has killed 23 people and caused direct economic losses to the tune of over USD 490 million, authorities said today.
Storms have forced the evacuation of nearly 34,000 people in Chongqing Municipality and the provinces of Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi, said the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Direct economic losses are estimated at 3.26 billion yuan (USD 490.3 million), state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
More than 5,200 houses have collapsed and over 24,000 damaged due to the heavy rains, the report added.