NANNING, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Floods triggered by torrential rains since Friday have left one person dead, nine missing and forced the evacuation of more than 70,000 in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    The downpour, with the highest daily rainfall of 362.3 mm recorded in Fangchenggang City, has affected the lives of almost 700,000 people in 12 counties, said a regional civil affairs apartment official.

    The floods had destroyed 698 homes and inundated at least 48,271 hectares of cropland. Direct economic losses were estimated at 42.76 million yuan (about 6.3 million U.S. dollars), he said.

    Torrential rain was still hitting most parts of Guangxi on Sunday and was expected to ease to a drizzle on Monday, according to the regional observatory.