China floods: At least 3 killed over a million displaced by heavy rain

In China, about two million people have been affected by severe flooding in northern Shanxi province of the country. According to information, torrential rain last week lead to houses collapsing and triggered landslides across more than 70 districts and cities in the province. State broadcaster CCTV reported that three people had died with another 11 still missing.The region is normally dry, but the Xinhua News Agency said the rainfall had damaged crops across 190,000 hectares (470,000 acres), which represents an area bigger than the size of London,

Heavy rainfall is hampering rescue efforts. A section of a wall in the historic town of Pingyao, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has also been damaged amid ongoing fears over a number of ancient monuments.Operations have been suspended at 60 coal mines in Shanxi, which is a major coal-producing area and comes as the government continues to address power shortages which has had an impact on industr. The flooding comes less than three months after extreme rains in Henan province left more than 300 dead. China's Meteorological Administration also told local media that heavy and prolonged rainfall and storms are hampering rescue efforts.
Authorities told the Xinhua news agency that more than 120,000 people have been urgently shifted and resettled and that 17,000 homes have collapsed across Shanxi province. Shanxi is a major coal producing province and the Chinese government was forced to halt operations at mines and chemical factories as a result of the rain. China is already facing an energy shortage which has caused power cuts. The government has been limiting electricity usage at ports and factories.