Five die as floods hit north China

Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have left at least five dead and three missing in China’s northern province of Shanxi.

Local authorities say heavy rainstorms hit Linxian County of Luliang City in the province around 3:00 p.m. local time on Sunday. The rains triggered flash floods and caused the casualties at a construction site.

Rescue workers have been sent to the region to find the missing.

On Saturday, flash flood killed at least 21 people in northwestern province of Gansu.

Local government in the city of Tianshui, situated more than 1,100 kilometers (683 miles) southwest of Beijing, said on Saturday that four bouts of torrential rains have lashed the province, causing floods, landslides and rock falls in seven townships.

It added that more than 1.2 million residents have been affected, and 30,000 people have been already evacuated.

On July 22, two powerful earthquakes struck Gansu province. The first earthquake near Dingxi city had a magnitude of 5.98 on the Richter scale and was shallow, with a depth of just 9.8 kilometers (six miles).

It was followed by a strong 5.6-magnitude aftershock about an hour and a half later.

Nearly 90 people died and more than 500 others severely injured. A total of 1,200 buildings also collapsed and tens of thousands more were badly damaged.