Death Toll Rises in China Flooding

China's official news agency says flooding and landslides in the country's southern provinces have killed at least 37 people in the last four days.

State-run Xinhua news says the flooding, triggered by heavy rains, has forced at least 178,000 people from their homes in the provinces of Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangxi.

It says the highest death toll was in Guangdong, where 14 people were reported killed and four others are missing.

The rains have destroyed thousands of homes and damaged large areas of farmland.

On Friday, the Sichuan province was battered by hailstorms, lightning strikes, and landslides that killed seven people.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.