BEIJING, July 7 -- Fifteen people have been killed and eight others are missing after recent heavy rain and floods, mostly in south China, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Monday.

Seven provincial regions including Xinjiang, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou have reported deaths after downpours caused floods, landslides and mud-rock flows since July 3, the ministry said.

More than 5.9 million people have been affected by the heavy rain, with 61,000 being displaced. More than 5,000 houses have collapsed, the Office of the National Committee for Disaster Reduction said.

An initial estimate puts direct economic losses at 3.4 billion yuan (547 million U.S. dollars), it added.