Rainstorms leave 28 dead, 66 missing in China

Soldiers take part in emergency rescue in Jiujiang Town of Chengdu City, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 9, 2013. The Jiang'an River busted its bank due to a rainstorm on Tuesday. The residents have been evacuated and the situation is under control by now. (Xinhua/Fu Ruogui).

Rainstorm-triggered natural disasters over the past four days have left 28 people dead and 66 more missing across China, according to the latest official count.

Torrential rain that started sweeping across the country from Sunday has led to floods and landslides, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Thursday in its daily update on the losses caused by the weather.

More than three million residents in 16 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country have been affected by the disasters, as of 9 a.m. Thursday, the ministry said.

Southwest China's Sichuan Province, one of the worst-hit regions, has recorded nine deaths with 62 others missing.

Rainstorms and related disasters also claimed five lives in north China's Inner Mongolia, and caused four deaths in Henan and Yunnan provinces each. There have been three deaths in Hebei Province and one each in Beijing, Tibet and Xinjiang.