Floods following continuous rainstorms claimed 64 lives in the past two weeks in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the provincial government announced on Monday.  

An investigation by the provincial government showed the floods damaged over 130,000 hectares of crops, causing economic losses of 5.93 billion yuan (US$717 million).

Fifty-nine people were missing in the floods, according to the provincial government.

Recent rainstorms caused serious floods and mud and rock slides in the central and southern parts of Shaanxi Province.

The Weihe River, the biggest tributary of the Yellow River, the second longest river in China, reported the most serious flood since 1981. Floodwater breached the embankment of the river, inundating vast areas of farmland and making over 200,000 locals homeless.

People in disaster areas have begun rebuilding their homes and resumed production as the floods recede. The provincial government has allocated more than 50 million yuan (US$6.04 million) in relief funds to help flood victims.

(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2003)