25 Killed, Dozens Missing After Storms Wreak Havoc In Nw China

25 killed, dozens missing after storms wreak havoc in NW China < br /> 2012-05-11 23:26:17 GMT+7 (ICT) BEIJING, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- At least twenty-five people have been killed and dozens more remain missing after severe hail storms and torrential rains hit parts of a mountainous region in northwestern China on late Thursday afternoon, officials said on Friday. The death toll is expected to rise.The brief but harsh storm in China's northwestern province of Gansu mostly affected Minxian county, where all townships reported heavy damage. It began at around 5 p.m. local time on Thursday and lasted about an hour, enough time to damage or destroy tens of thousands of buildings.A Ministry of Civil Affairs spokesperson said the hail storms and heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in the mountainous region, collapsing 2,844 houses, damaging 29,878 houses, destroying 13,000 hectares of crops, and affecting more than 40,000 people across 31 townships in the counties of Minxian, Zhangxian and Weiyuan.The ministry said that, as of 5 p.m. local time on Friday, 25 people were confirmed to have been killed in the storms while 33 others remain missing. Search-and-rescue operations were continuing, and the death toll is expected to rise. A total of 40 people have been hospitalized, including five people who were seriously injured.

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