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

Rainstorms began inundating the municipality on Saturday evening, triggering floods and landslides in some localities. The disaster has affected the life of 2.05 million residents in 172 townships.

Two of the victims were killed in a landslide in Wanzhou area and the third was drowned in flood water near a reservoir.

The rainstorms have also destroyed 650 houses and more than 120,000 hectares of farmland, incurring 182 million yuan (US$22.5 million) in direct losses.

The search for the missing is still underway.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2005)