Some areas of three cities in south China's Guangdong Province experienced torrential rainfalls from May 16 to 17, leaving 15 people dead and eight others missing.

The heavy rainfall has caused floods, landslides, house dilapidation and damage to roads and water conservation, power supply and telecommunications facilities in rainstorm-hit areas.

Preliminary investigations show that a total of more than 390,000 people in 70-plus towns and five counties of Meizhou City suffered from the heavy shower, with seven killed and two others missing, according to the provincial Bureau of Water Resources.

The death toll in the heavy rainfall was eight for Heyuan and Shaoguan cities in total, the bureau added.

Three special work teams have been dispatched by the provincial government to the three cities to guide the rescue efforts and help resettle the people affected by the disaster.

Search for the missing people is still going on.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2003)