Southern China braces for more rain, Chongqing landslide search continues

BEIJING, July 19 - China's meteorological authority on Sunday issued a heavy rain alert for parts of southern China, following a warning a day earlier of mountain flood risks in areas like Chongqing and Yunnan and potential emergency evacuations in vulnerable places.

• Cutting south China diagonally, the sprawling rain belt stretches from the southwestern province of Yunnan to the Yangtze River Delta in China's eastern coast.

• Rail authorities suspended some passenger trains on the Shanghai–Kunming railway on Sunday due to heavy rain, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

• In Yunnan, several scenic spots including the Tiger Leaping Gorge were temporarily closed following heavy rain over the weekend.

• Parts of southwestern Guangxi region, still recovering from the impact of Typhoon Maysak earlier this month, was bracing for a new round of rain through Tuesday.

• Hydrological authorities in Guangxi's Baise said some rivers rose by one to three metres (three to nine feet) over the past 24 hours, CCTV reported Sunday.

• A rain-triggered landslide in a county in southwest China's Chongqing on Friday has killed eight people, while rescuers are still racing to find 34 people that remain missing. REUTERS