Floods triggered by torrential rains have killed six people and left three missing in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, according to the municipal disaster relief office.

The rains lasted from about 10:00 PM on August 27 to about 12:00 AM on August 29, triggering floods and landslides in some localities. About 2 million residents in 172 townships have been affected.
   
Two of the victims were a couple killed in a landslide in Wanzhou area and the third drowned in floodwater near a reservoir.
   
The storms have also destroyed 3,650 houses and more than 120,000 hectares of farmland, incurring 182 million yuan (US$22.5 million) in direct economic losses.

An 80-meter-long, 30-meter-wide, and 1.5-meter-thick landslide rumbled into Jianlou Village of Tiefeng County during the rains. If it continues to widen, the landslide could block off local Bailong River course and endanger the lives of residents in the area, local officials said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2005)