About 4,000 people were stranded Wednesday by floods after rainstorms hit east China's Jiangxi Province.

Police have been mobilized to help with the rescue.

An official with the county government of Shangli, Jiangxi, said about 100,000 people were affected by the rainstorms and 17 villages were hit by floods.

Rainstorms developed in Jiangxi on Tuesday evening, with Shangli the worst affected. The county seat of Shangli had recorded an unusual rain total, of 391 millimeters, as of 8 a.m. Wednesday.

The death toll from torrential rains in China rose to 23 on Tuesday.

Also, the China Meteorological Administration warned on Tuesday that torrential rains would hit the eastern and central part of the country over the next three days, which increased the possibility of floods and mud-rock flows.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters issued a warning urging provinces to keep a close watch on the changing weather and act to avert possible danger.

(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2008)