Rain-triggered floods and landslides in southern China have killed close to 100 people and left 50 others missing over the past week, local officials said.

Approximately 1.4 million local residents were evacuated when water in tens of rivers, including the Pearl river , is rising to the alarming level.

China ’s State Disaster Relief Commission said downpours, which began pounding southern China on June 13, and consequent floods have heavily ruined crops, destroyed roads and interrupted information networks.

The hardest affected provinces include Fujian , Jiangxi , Hunan , Guangdong , Sichuan , Guizhou and Guangxi.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, economic losses caused by the heavy rains and floods are estimated at 11 billion yuan (1.6 billion USD).

The National Meteorological Center on June 19 reiterated the rainstorm orange alert - the second-highest level - it issued a day earlier, warning of more rains and very possibly heavy rainstorms in the southern region.

Just few months ago, China ’s southwestern provinces faced the worst
drought in a century, which affected 61 million people and damaged 12 million hectares of crops./.