Hundreds of thousands of people were forced from their homes in south and central China after major flooding caused destruction throughout the region.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said as of Tuesday, about 228,000 people were forced to seek emergency shelter after heavy rains triggered massive flooding.
Downpours in the southern region of Guangxi have been particularly severe. Six people were killed and one is missing after heavy rain triggered flooding and landslides.
State media outlet China Daily said that seven people were reported dead in Hunan province.
The flooding has destroyed some 1,300 homes, with initial damage estimated at more than $500 million.
Officials said that after the rainstorms, 110 rivers in eight regions swelled to above flood-stage.
According to The Associated Press, seasonal flooding generally causes heavy damage each year in the lower regions of China’s major river systems.
Authorities sought to reduce the hardship of yearly flooding through the use of dams, particularly the massive Three Gorges structure on the Yangtze River.
China’s worst floods in recent years were in 1998, when more than 2,000 people died and nearly 3 million homes were destroyed.
