HEFEI, Sept. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Torrential rains and flooding caused by Typhoon Talim have claimed at least 31 lives and left 12 others missing in Anhui Province over the past three days, a provincial official said Saturday.

    Flood waters and heavy flows of mud and rock also destroyed infrastructure facilities and flattened homes in the Dabie Mountain area of the province.

    Preliminary investigation shows that in Yuexi and Jinzhai, two worst-hit counties, about 400,000 people suffered from the disasters and 46,000 hectares of cropland were affected.

    tropical storm brought about by Talim was weakened on Friday asit passed further inland into neighboring Jiangxi Province.

    The Anhui provincial government has sent two work teams for the rescue and disaster relief work. Enditem