5 killed as rainstorms hit north China's Shanxi Province

Continuous rainstorms have battered north China's Shanxi Province, leaving five people dead, local authorities have said.

Early on Wednesday morning, it was confirmed that four people had died in a flood in Jingpo Village of Puxian County in the city of Linfen, according to the county's publicity department.

In Lyuliang City, also in Shanxi, the heavy rains have killed one person as of 8 am, and 153 homes have collapsed. The rainstorms have also damaged dozens of roads and one bridge in the city. More than 1,300 residents have been evacuated, the city's publicity department said.

According to the railway bureau of Taiyuan, the provincial capital, the bad weather has also led to service suspension of nine trains under the management of the bureau, while three other trains were delayed.

The neighboring Shaanxi Province has also been hit by persistent rainstorms since Saturday. More than 50,000 people have so far been relocated to safety.

The heavy rains have affected 76 townships in Hanzhong City, resulting in direct economic losses of 113 million yuan (about 17.5 million US dollars).

A number of scenic spots in the cities of Xi'an, Yan'an, Hanzhong and Baoji have been temporarily closed.