Floods claimed a total 1660 lives this year in China, but much fewer than that of the previous years, said an official with the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters in Beijing Tuesday.

Zhang Zhitong, vice head of the headquarters office, said at a meeting that China has seen very heavy rainfalls in 2005.

A total of 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities suffered flood to different extents, Zhang said.

Compared with the past few years, the flood season arrived earlier and lasted longer this year, said the official.

More than 200 million people were affected by the floods, and some 1.53 million houses and over 9 million hectares of crops were destroyed. The total direct economic loss was as high as 166.2 billion yuan (US$20.5 billion), much higher than the previous years, the official said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2005)