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BEIJING, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-three people have died after heavy rain hit parts of China starting Oct. 1, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Monday.
As of 9 a.m. Monday, storms have forced the evacuation of nearly 34,000 people in Chongqing Municipality and the provinces of Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi, the ministry said.
More than 5,200 houses collapsed and over 24,000 were damaged due to the heavy rain. Direct economic losses are estimated at 3.26 billion yuan (490.3 million U.S. dollars).
