Devastating Rainfall Claims Lives and Wreaks Havoc on Crops in Eastern China

Five people have died and two are missing after heavy rain caused a river bank to burst near Hangzhou city in eastern China, flooding houses and carrying away people and their belongings. In addition, heavy rain in China's northeast has submerged parts of the region, damaging dozens of houses and ruining crops. Almost 5,600 people have been evacuated, and rescue workers are wading through water with inflatable dinghies. The recent rain has alleviated drought conditions in the area, but there are still risks to local crops due to the El Nino weather pattern.