More than 16,700 hectares of crops were affected by heavy rains and flooding while 31,000 houses were also toppled across the province taking the total direct economic losses to 6 billion yuan (USD937.5 million), official news agency Xinhua reported.
The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has sent special work teams to the province to gauge flood damage and direct disaster relief operations, it said, adding that efforts are on to trace the missing people.
Torrential rains have ravaged many parts of Sichuan since Friday. In Bazhong, Dazhou and Guang'an cities particularly, 1.6 million people were evacuated ahead of what was expected to be the worst flood since records began in 1847, the agency added.
(Published 20 September 2011, 01:40 IST)
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