China reports 31 deaths amid torrential rain

BEIJING -- Heavy rains have led to 28 deaths in Southwest China's Guizhou province and three in central Hubei, according to latest official figures.

As of 3:00 p.m. Friday, the disasters have affected a total of 2.37 million people in the two provinces and forced some 170,000 people to relocate or left in urgent need of living necessities, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said in a statement.

The rains, which have lasted for days across several areas, caused floods, hail and landslides, resulting in seven people missing and 25,000 houses toppled or severely damaged, the ministry said.

At 4:00 p.m., the ministry and the China National Commission for Disaster Reduction initiated a grade IV emergency response and have dispatched emergency response teams to the two regions to review damage and guide relief.

A grade IV response, the lowest in the country's emergency response system, means a 24-hour alert, daily damage reports, and dispatching money and relief materials within 48 hours.

Local authorities have so far allocated relief funds totalling 12 million yuan (1.9 million U.S. dollars) as well as materials including tents, cotton quilts, clothes and folding beds to affected regions.