A small reservoir collapsed in heavy rain early on Thursday in southwest China's Yunnan Province, leaving 15 people dead, 23 injured and one missing, according to the local government today.

Eight children under the age of 12 were killed in the accident, which took place at 6:20 AM yesterday whilst most people in the three affected villages were still asleep, said Guo Youquan, a county government official.

By 10 AM on Friday, 146 people from 36 families in Xiaocaoba Township of Yiliang County had been affected by the collapse of the reservoir, which had a storage capacity of 80,000 cubic meters.
   
Ninety-three domestic animals were drowned and 19 houses, 20 outbuildings and 40 hectares of cropland flooded, with direct economic losses estimated at 4.64 million yuan (US$560,000), said Guo.
   
The county had been plagued by heavy rain for days beforehand.
   
At least 500 people have joined the rescue operations and Yiliang's government has sent flood relief materials to the area.

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2005)