Worst flooding since 1955: 2 million suffer in China

BEIJING —

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More than 2 million people have been displaced or otherwise affected by flooding in China's eastern province of Zhejiang, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday.

Torrential rains have left huge areas of the relatively wealthy province underwater, with 42,254 acres of farmland inundated, according to Xinhua.

Xinhua reported that almost 1,000 businesses have been forced to suspend operations and 2.6 million people have had their lives disrupted. Direct financial damages were estimated at almost 5 billion yuan ($772 million).

Reuters

Flooding in eastern and southern China this month has left more than 170 people dead or missing.

The government has described the floods in some areas, such as eastern Zhejiang's Qianting River area, as the worst since 1955.

Roads and railways have been blocked, but aid supplies are arriving. The country's weather bureau says skies are expected to clear up Monday.