Seven people have died and two are missing after rains triggered floods and rock-mud in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local government sources said on Thursday.

 

Five people were killed by rock-mud flow and one drowned in floodwaters in Fuyuan County, which had a precipitation of 120 millimeters from Saturday to Monday, according to the local government.

 

The rainstorm affected about 72,000 people in 101 villages and damaged 827 homes, it said.

 

The county has allocated 2.05 million yuan (US$270,000) for disaster relief.

 

In Lanping Bai and Pumi Autonomous County, a worker at a local mine pit was killed by rock-mud flow on Wednesday and two in another pit were swept away and are still missing.

 

Rescuers are still searching the two.

 

Floods, hail and rock-mud flows have left at least 170 dead and 10 missing in Yunnan this summer.

 

More than 800 people have been dead or missing in China from natural disasters this year.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2007)