Heavy rain and floods in 10 regions of South China have killed 199 people, with 123 others still missing.

The floods are the worst in 50 years for some regions. They have affected more than 25 million people and over 1.6 million hectares of farmland. Almost 200 thousand houses have been destroyed and 2.3 million people have been evacuated. Total economic losses are estimated at 42 billion yuan or 6.2 billion US dollars. The worst-hit areas are Jiangxi, Fujian, Hunan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The severe floods in East China's Jiangxi Province are worse than those of 1998. The ministry of Civil Affiars on Tuesday dispatched an extra 18 thousand tents to flood-hit areas.