37 dead after 10 days of heavy rain in south China's Guangxi

Thirty-seven people are dead after 10 days of heavy rain in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to the regional flood control authorities Wednesday morning.

Heavy rain hit 80 counties in the autonomous region, affected around 3.5 million people and incurred 2.41 billion yuan (354 million U.S. dollars) in direct economic losses.

Approximately 164,580 hectares of farmland were affected, 16,395 houses collapsed and another 21,795 were damaged.

Of the total deaths, one drowned, four died in buildings collapses and 32 were victims of landslides and other rain related geological disasters.

Economic losses included 1.02 billion yuan in the agricultural sector.

According to the local flood control authorities, 210,300 people have been evacuated.

Local meteorologists forecast that Guangxi would see less rain Wednesday, but a new round of heavy rain is expected to hit the region from Thursday to Saturday.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the heavy rains and floods in 10 southern China regions (provinces, an autonomous region and a municipality) had resulted in 199 deaths and 123 missing as of Tuesday.

Source:Xinhua