15 killed in China by torrential flooding

Workers clean up silt and mud from a street in Wanzhou district of Chongqing. Pic/AP

At least 15 people have been killed by floods in southwestern China as seasonal torrents hit mountain areas, authorities said Wednesday.

Another four people were reported missing by mid-morning in Chongqing, a vast mountainous region of 31 million, almost all of which has now been designated as having flood risk.

Stranded people being rescued by the armed police force. Pic/AP

The Chongqing floods appear to be China's deadliest amid deluges in other parts of the country. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated. In just one southwestern province, Sichuan, more than 85,000 people have been evacuated due to flooding, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chongqing's flood warning has been upgraded from level four to level three, reflecting the growing crisis.

Rescue teams in inflatable boats were ferrying villagers to safety and workers were clearing roads blocked by landslides, according to photos posted on the government website.

Floods hit large parts of China every year, especially in the south, but northern regions this year have reported the worst floods in 50 years.

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