Thirty-one people had been killed, eight missing and 171 injured by 11 AM on Thursday as rainstorms continued to rage in east China's Shandong Province, according to the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs.

By Thursday morning, 5,718 households had been flooded and 135 houses destroyed in cities that included Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai and Zibo, the ministry said.

This is the strongest rainfall in Shandong this year and Jinan, the provincial capital, received a record of 180 mm of rainfall within three hours from 5:00 PM to 8:00?PM on Wednesday, the city's meteorological bureau said.

The rainstorm also cut off traffic, electricity and water supply for three hours in Jinan, according to the local government.

There is no report on economic loss, number of affected residents and collapsed houses amid the rainfall.

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency July 19, 2007)