The heaviest rain-and-snow storm in a century hit Yunnan Province's Nujiang area, killing five people and leaving five others missing and 12 injured, the local government said yesterday.

The bad weather also damaged about 12,800 rural houses and killed 9,000-plus livestock. Starting last Friday, heavy snow and rain have been falling in the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture. Gongshan County bore the brunt of the storm, getting 40.5 millimeters of rainfall and 16 centimeters of snow in less than 20 hours up to 2 PM on Sunday.

(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2005)